The underfire Secretary-General of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party, Floyd Shivambu, has set his party on winning the upcoming by-elections in Mandeni and Mpofana in KwaZulu-Natal.

Shivambu also wants to win the ward 24 by-election in the City of Johannesburg set for 14 May 2025.

In a message on his Facebook page, he said no amount of distraction should stop the party from achieving this feat. He was apparently referring to the controversy that erupted after he recently visited Malawi and took part in an Easter service of fugitive and self-proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri.

“The immediate mandate we have is to win Ward 18 Mandeni, Ward 4 Mpofana, and Ward 24 City of Johannesburg By-Elections and we will win decisively! There’s no amount of external or internal distraction that will stop the persuasive power and logic of uMKhonto weSizwe! No retreat!,” Shivambu wrote on Facebook.

The by-election in Mandeni would take place on April 30, and the one in Mpofana in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands would also take place on the same date.

In an apparent jab meant for the EFF, which has been performing badly in by-elections across the country, Shivambu said: “Political opponents are invited to campaign as well and they will not reach even 5% of the electorate because the MK is uniting voters behind its progressive and decisive leadership.”