EKURHULENI, Monday 7 September 2026 — The Afrika Mayibuye Movement has defended its decision to nominate former prisoner and podcast host Themba Lukhele Nzimande, known as SkeemGP, as its Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate after his criminal history prompted criticism of the party’s selection ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
Party spokesperson Sidney Baloyi said on Monday that Afrika Mayibuye had selected Nzimande on the basis of restorative justice and his rehabilitation, arguing that his previous convictions should not permanently exclude him from political participation.
Nzimande is a former offender whose public work since leaving prison has focused heavily on rehabilitation, reintegration and crime prevention.
SABC News described him as a former cash-in-transit offender who subsequently became a podcaster and community activist.
The movement announced him as its Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate during its Gauteng candidate rollout at the weekend.
Party leader Floyd Shivambu publicly confirmed the nomination as part of a broader slate that also includes Prince Nkitsing Mokotedi in Tshwane and Vincent Jones in Emfuleni.
The development also clarifies Nzimande’s full public name.
Earlier campaign references and some reporting identified him primarily as “Themba Lukhele” or “Skeem GP”.
His full name is Themba Lukhele Nzimande, and Afrika Mayibuye’s current public communications identify him as Themba Nzimande.
Nzimande had already been appointed Afrika Mayibuye’s head of mobilisation in May as the movement expanded its national structures ahead of the municipal elections.
His selection has now generated a wider debate about whether a serious criminal history should disqualify a rehabilitated offender from seeking elected office after completing a sentence.
Afrika Mayibuye says it should not.
“As an organisation, in fielding Themba Nzimande, we heavily leaned on the philosophy of restorative justice,” Baloyi told SABC News.
He said Nzimande did not deny his past and argued that he had accepted responsibility, served the consequences associated with his actions and subsequently changed his life.
That is the party’s assessment of Nzimande’s rehabilitation.
It does not erase his previous convictions, but neither does a past conviction automatically establish that he is currently legally barred from standing in a municipal election.
Candidate eligibility is ultimately determined under the Constitution, electoral legislation and the Electoral Commission’s certification process.
The IEC is currently verifying nominations submitted before the 28 August candidate deadline.
Final candidate lists are due to be published on 16 September 2026.
Nzimande’s appearance on that certified list will provide the authoritative confirmation of his eligibility to contest.
The political significance of the nomination is heightened by the municipality in which he is standing.
Ekurhuleni has had a fragmented council since the 2021 local government elections and has experienced repeated changes in political alliances and executive leadership.
The metro is currently led by ANC Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
No party is expected to enter the November election assuming it will obtain an outright majority.
Afrika Mayibuye will therefore be competing not only for individual ward and proportional-representation seats but potentially for influence in coalition negotiations if the council remains hung.
Nzimande joins a diverse field of mayoral contenders.
ActionSA has selected anti-crime activist and television personality Xolani Khumalo, while the DA has nominated Khathutshelo Rasilingwane.
The EFF has selected Nthabiseng Tshivhenga, and the MK Party is also contesting the metro with its own mayoral candidate.
The ANC has not yet completed all of its metropolitan mayoral selections.
Afrika Mayibuye itself is contesting its first local government election.
The movement was founded by Shivambu after his departure from the MK Party and has sought to rapidly build national structures and recruit candidates with existing public profiles.
Nzimande is one of the party’s more unconventional choices.
His SkeemGP platform has built an audience around interviews with former offenders and discussions about prison life, rehabilitation and reintegration.
His foundation similarly describes its work as centred on skills development, community support, rehabilitation and crime prevention.
Those activities form part of the argument Afrika Mayibuye is using to defend his candidacy.
Critics, however, have questioned whether the seriousness of his criminal history is compatible with leading one of South Africa’s largest municipal administrations.
That criticism represents political and public opinion rather than a legal determination of his suitability.
The election will ultimately test whether voters accept Afrika Mayibuye’s argument that Nzimande’s rehabilitation is an asset rather than a disqualification.
For the party, the immediate procedural hurdle comes first.
If the IEC certifies his nomination on 16 September, Nzimande will formally enter a highly competitive Ekurhuleni race in which service delivery, crime, corruption and municipal governance are already central campaign issues.
His personal history is now likely to become part of that contest.
