UMkhonto Wesizwe Party has denied claims that it is plotting to liquidate the Economic Freedom Fighters whom it displaced from being the third largest party in parliament.
As it plans its first anniversary celebration MKP has been actively recruiting EFF leaders leading to the red berets’ leader Julius Malema declaring the party an enemy.
Former EFF leader and prominent lawyer Dali Mpofu who recently defected to MK and was immediately promoted to its National High Command was accused by Malema of pushing for the dissolution of the EFF even before MKP was registered but he denied the claim.
On Wednesday Mpofu briefed the media in Vosloorus where the Gauteng leg of the commemoration is scheduled to be held.
“This nonsense that I said parties should collapse to join MK is a lie, it did not happen, is just something that never happened. Once again is one of those issues that we don’t need to respond,” said Mpofu of claims made by Malema on the EFF podcast this month.
Mpofu said the unity of Africans preached by MKP does not necessarily mean swallowing other parties.
“Unity and merging are two different things. The mere fact that we are saying we want to unify parties means that people are free to stay in their parties, if you want to stay in the PAC because the PAC message resonates better with you that’s fine, it’s Azapo, the ANC, whoever that can be regarded as a progressive party that’s fine and that’s why we talk of a unified platform and in the continent there’s examples in Botswana there were so many parties that came together and won elections and the same thing happened in Mauritius,” said Mpofu.
On Friday MKP was set to hold an event in Marikana, North West to welcome new members who defected from other parties including the ANC, EFF and Rise Mzansi.