When parliament meets pop culture, things get spicy on X. Floyd Shivambu and Sizwe Dhlomo get into an online twar.
Former EFF heavyweight-turned-MK party member Floyd Shivambu may be on a mission to “make the apple fall”, but instead he might’ve slipped on a banana peel – right into a spicy online spat with radio personality and keyboard commando, Sizwe Dhlomo.
What started as a political call for “national consultation” quickly devolved into a digital duel full of sass, shade, and screenshots.
Floyd Nyiko Shivambu has had quite a year. Once the fiery deputy president of the EFF and known for grilling ministers in parliament’s finance committee, Floyd’s political pivot to Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party hasn’t been as smooth as his designer suits.
After being mysteriously demoted from secretary-general to “just” a member of parliament (a redeployment that’s still pending), Floyd packed his rhetorical bags and headed to Malawi, allegedly to visit fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri.
Upon his return, he did what any newly exiled political figure would do: he held a press conference.
There, he waxed lyrical about founding a potential new political party, a spreadsheet, a social media poll, and dropped buzzwords like “accountability” and “collective convictions,” and even quoted Che Guevara:
“The Revolution is not an Apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall!”
Later, adding to his X account: “We are humbled by the number of volunteers who say let’s proceed: this does not replace the ground work we will do. These numbers come from the last hour! We will ask for volunteers based in GP to assist with data capturing. It’s No surrender! No retreat! Mayibuye iAfrika!
How poetic.
Except Twitter — sorry, X — didn’t eat the apple.
They spat it out.
Enter: Sizwe with the shade
Broadcaster and resident online strategist Sizwe Dhlomo, never one to hold his tongue, replied to Floyd’s grand announcements with some unsolicited advice:
Sizwe: “Your problem is you don’t know how to execute, and you move like you’re desperate. Chill bro, didisa. Lie low for like two months or something, then come back and say you’ve consulted. Not this thing!”
Oof.
Floyd, in true politician fashion, took it personally — and diplomatically clapped back:
Floyd: “I humbly think you have an over-exaggerated view of yourself, brother. I don’t know you, have never spoken to you, but you seem like you feel entitled to how I do politics. I don’t know what you do, and I humbly advise that you focus there. Please!”
Translation: I don’t know him.
Sizwe, unbothered, hit him with a classic two-word thriller:
“Or what?”
And just like that, Floyd hit the block button faster than parliament approves a budget.
That’s exactly what I thought @FloydShivambu. pic.twitter.com/iSfGJkV2fs
— Sizwe Dhlomo (@SizweDhlomo) June 23, 2025
Petty receipts
Sizwe, not one to let a blocking go unnoticed, dusted off old receipts like a seasoned auditor:
“I don’t beef, I engage. This is nothing new, he knows naye.”
Turns out, this wasn’t their first Twitter tango. The archives show Floyd’s memory might be as selective as his party list choices.
I don’t beef, I engage. This is nothing new, he knows naye. https://t.co/ISiqqFWgHO pic.twitter.com/GfCVWbVf74
— Sizwe Dhlomo (@SizweDhlomo) June 24, 2025
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Netizens weigh in
Users on X quickly chimed in, many pointing out that Floyd’s emotional energy might be best reserved for his party-building roadshow:
@IamSimoku: “@FloydShivambu is being emotional now, and as a leader, when you are emotional, you make a lot of mistakes… He could’ve just avoided this by not responding at all.”
Others echoed Sizwe’s sentiment:
“He’s always emotional,” Sizwe concluded with finality.
From politics to personality wars
Whether Floyd launches a new political party remains to be seen. What is clear is that South Africa’s political landscape continues to blur the lines between leadership and live streams.
With politicians quoting revolutionaries and broadcasters running the PR advice column, maybe the real party is happening online.
No surrender, no retreat… retweets.
