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Fana Mokoena exits Mayibuye
Actor and former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Fana Mokoena is reportedly no longer part of Floyd Shivambu’s Mayibuye political movement, months after being unveiled as one of the prominent figures involved in the organisation’s early consultation process.
Mokoena was among a group of former EFF party figures announced by Shivambu in June 2025 as part of the Mayibuye Consultation Process. At the time, the former EFF politician was positioned as part of the movement’s National Consultation Team (NCT), alongside figures including Vusi Khoza, Patrick Sindane and Menzi Ngubane.
His involvement came after a long political association with Shivambu. Mokoena had been a senior EFF figure and member of the party’s Central Command Team before resigning from the EFF and Parliament in October 2024. The two had previously been regarded as political allies, with Mokoena having worked closely with Shivambu during their years in the EFF.
Mayibuye itself later described Mokoena as a former EFF Central Command Team member and member of its National Consultation Team, stating that he had voluntarily resigned from the EFF rather than being expelled. In a statement responding to criticism of its recruitment of former EFF members, the movement said: “Fana Mokoena, Former CCT and Member of Parliament and current member of Mayibuye NCT- never fired from the EFF but voluntarily resigned.”
However, sources familiar with developments inside Mayibuye now allege that relations between Mokoena and Shivambu became strained following the arrival of Themba “Skeem GP” Lukhele.
Lukhele, a reality television personality, ex-convict, podcaster and political activist, became associated with Shivambu’s political project during its development and was later given a prominent organisational role. In 2025, Lukhele confirmed that he was in discussions to join the Mayibuye project, describing his move into politics as a continuation of an interest he had long held. By May 2026, Shivambu had formally announced Lukhele as Mayibuye’s head of mobilisation, placing the popular media personality in a significant position as the movement prepared for the local government elections.
According to the source, it was around this period that tensions allegedly intensified between Mokoena and Shivambu. The source claims that differences emerged over the direction of the organisation and the changing influence of new figures within Mayibuye, with Lukhele’s growing prominence allegedly contributing to the breakdown in the relationship between the two former EFF comrades.
The allegations could not be independently verified, and neither Mokoena nor Shivambu has publicly confirmed that a personal or political fallout between them was responsible for Mokoena’s reported departure.
Mokoena’s reported exit would nevertheless represent a notable development for Mayibuye, given his status as one of the better-known political figures recruited during the movement’s formative months.
When Shivambu announced the consultation team in June 2025, he described the project as an attempt to determine whether there was a need for a new political organisation in South Africa. The group included former members of both the EFF and MK Party and was tasked with engaging communities across the country.
Mayibuye has since evolved from a consultation process into a fully fledged political movement, with Shivambu announcing leadership appointments and positioning the organisation for the 2026 local government elections. Lukhele’s appointment as head of mobilisation is part of that broader organisational restructuring.
Mokoena’s reported departure therefore comes at a time when Mayibuye is attempting to consolidate its structures and expand its political footprint. Mokoena could not be reached for comment.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
