Former President Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) founding spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, have blamed senior party leadership for their expulsion and vowed to fight their removal and return to the party.
The pair addressed the media in Johannesburg, where they singled out Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo and second deputy president Tony Yengeni for their current predicament.
Zuma-Sambudla said her father was being misled by those around him.
“I take no responsibility. I blame the people around the leadership. I don’t feel betrayed by my father, Jacob Zuma, but I do blame those around him,” said Zuma-Sambudla.
Former MKP Secretary-General, Floyd Shivambu, who now leads his own Mayibuye Afrika Movement, has also criticised Ndhlela and Zuma-Sambudla for his difficulties within the party. However, the pair maintain that the MKP has not had an effective secretary-general.
“I thought I could escape that one. To date, we have not had a good SG,” Zuma-Sambudla said, referring to Nomvalo.
Ndhlela said the two were not given an opportunity to state their case and only learned of their expulsion through media reports.
“We believe the expulsion was unconstitutional in terms of the MK Party constitution. We first heard about it live on television. No one contacted either Duduzile or myself. No proper disciplinary process was followed; it was entirely unprocedural,” said the former spokesperson.
They have vowed to challenge the expulsion in court, while also seeking to persuade party leader Jacob Zuma to reverse the decision.
Zuma-Sambudla added that she remains an MKP signatory with the IEC.