A mere three weeks before the National and Provincial Elections, the uMkhonto weSizwe party is imploding. In the latest developments the party’s founder and now expelled former Commander Jabulani Khumalo has send out a letter purporting to suspend former President Jacob Zuma and another informing the IEC that Zuma is no longer the face of the newly formed party.
In both letters Khumalo implies Zuma was a mere adviser who has now hijacked the party.
Among others Khumalo accuses Zuma of causing confusion in and outside the party and of bringing it into disrepute.
“You have committed several acts of misconduct in relation to the activities of the MKP. These have brought the party into disrepute and caused confusion within the broader public and the membership of the MKP. Specifically, you have purported to suspend as the President of the Party without following the procedures prescribed by the constitution of the party,” said Khumalo in the suspension letter to Zuma who is also scheduled to appear before an ANC disciplinary hearing.
Khumalo also wrote to the IEC requesting Zuma’s removal as party leader and the face that is to be on the ballot paper on May 29.
Khumalo is said to be the one that wrote a letter to the IEC installing Zuma as the face of the party but denies that the correspondence also meant that the former president had assumed leadership of the party.
“I sent the letter to the Electoral Commission, in which I confirmed that Mr Zuma will be the face of the party. At no stage did I confirm that Mr Zuma would be President of the party,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo also claimed that Zuma and his daughter Duduzile Zuma have been plotting against him and scheming to have an outsider come in to lead the party after the elections.
“It has been widely discussed within MKP that after elections some individuals, including an active member and leader of an opposition party would take over as president of MKP. Mr Zuma’s daughter, Ms Duduzile Zuma has also persistently publicly disgraced my name,” said Khumalo who is adamant the popular former President occupies the positions of party leader and leading candidate through “fraudulent manoeuvres”.
Analysts have warned the infighting would weaken the new kid on the block which for some time appeared to be a threat to older parties, in particular the ruling ANC. Bar for the EFF, all political parties formed by aggrieved former ANC members have failed to gain momentum with among others Congress of the People now facing the realistic prospect of not making into parliament.
Meanwhile Duduzile has hit back at Khumalo on social media platform X suggesting that the MK founder was in denial and would soon have to accept that he’s no longer part of the party.
