‘I have nothing to do with him’: Julius Malema insists EFF doing much better now without Floyd Shivambu

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says he has no friendship at all with his former comrade and erstwhile deputy president of the red berets Floyd Shivambu who crossed the floor to join Jacob Zuma’s fledgling uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.

Last month, IOL reported that Shivambu rocked the EFF boat dramatically when he announced he was leaving his influential position in the party to join Zuma.

At the time, Malema expressed shock and sorrow over his “brother’s” departure, and revealed that the door would always be open for Shivambu if ever he decides to return to the political party they formed together after being hounded from the ANC Youth League.

However, in an interview with SABC’s Clement Manyathela, Malema said he has no other relations and contact with Shivambu after the latter left the EFF.

“I am doing very well. The leadership of the EFF remains intact, although his departure was painful, but I got some sense of relief – I don’t know why. It was as if I have put down some heavy load. So it’s not always that bad things will always produce bad results, at times they produce very good results,” Malema said.

“So, we are fine, we are rocking.”

Asked about their personal friendship, Malema said it’s all history.

“No, no, no I don’t have anything to do with him. What brought us together was a common purpose. We met in the trenches, we did not meet in a club. We didn’t meet at church, we didn’t fall into love with each other at university in the same class, what brought us together was sharing the common agenda for the revolution,” Malema said.

“Once we start seeing things differently, when what brought us together no longer exists, there is no need for me to be having any kind of relationship.”

The firebrand EFF leader also said: “nothing of us now depends on his existence. We are much better now without him”.

Last week, IOL reported that Shivambu had shrugged off rumours of bad blood between himself and his long-time ally, Malema.

Shivambu, who is the MK party’s national organiser, has faced unrelenting mudslinging from prominent EFF members and leaders on social media, who accuse him of selling out the red berets, a party he helped form in 2013 after he and Malema were expelled from the ANC.

Speaking to the Daily News during his campaign in Durban ahead of Wednesday’s by-elections, Shivambu dismissed claims of a rift between himself and Malema.

“He remains my brother and a comrade. People must understand that there might be differences in politics, but that does not mean that in our personal lives, there are differences,” he said.

On the attacks from EFF members, he said he had not seen any, adding that he was busy with the work of the MK party.