YENA aya kwini- a phrase to tell someone that it serves them right after something bad/ unfortunate happens to them.
This a Xitsonga phrase of which the embattled Floyd Nyiko Shivambu is familiar with, since he’s Shangaan, has been downgraded to Parliament from the powerful secretary-general MKP position.
His visit to the controversial Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi, has turned out to haunt Shivambu, who today will host his personal media brief in Midrand, without the blessings of his party MKP.
As things stand, nobody has an idea what this briefing is all about, suffice to say- ‘chickens are coming home for roasting’.
“It means what he’s doing as an individual outside the MKP, and whether we like it or not, whatever he has to say has a lot to do with the MKP. Shivambu is an aggrieved person,” says political analyst Dr Levy Ndou.
Dr Ndou, also pointed out Shivambu’s role in building MKP structures and crafting its constitution, adding that his abrupt removal—followed by a failed parliamentary deployment—has likely left him disillusioned.
Despite the current tensions, Ndou believes Shivambu remains politically versatile and could continue to exert influence outside formal party politics.
“He has a lot of options at his disposal, He can join other political parties that would accept him. He can still continue as an active citizen and participate in political activities outside any political party. He can go and work with workers’ unions… He can also avail his services to different political parties and do what he did with the EFF and the MK Party.”
“It will depend on why people joined the MKP and how they valued him,” he said.
“There are political parties that have many members and supporters but do not care about the principles or objectives of the party. That is what you need in a political party for direction and stability,” said Dr Ndou.
He noted that MKP’s internal coherence is often linked to political deployment.
“Tomorrow (Thursday 19, June 2025) we have a Press Conference to speak about political developments in South Africa. Those who have worked with us know that the guiding dictum and principle is guided by Amilcar Cabral who says, “Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told.
Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories…” was Shivambu’s reaction.
Image (Cutting a forlorn. Floyd Nyiko Shivambu is at loggerheads with his party MKP).
