Zuma reads riot act to MK Party members

Zuma reads riot act to MK Party members

Former president Jacob Zuma addressed the issue of factionalism in the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), saying he was perturbed by members who were jostling for positions.

The party in recent weeks has made changes to its senior leadership and its youth wing.

According to the minutes of the meeting that took place on Monday, Zuma said that all the party’s structures were interim and the leadership used their discretion to appoint people.

He said he found it disconcerting that some leaders tried to resist when asked to give way for others to lead.

Zuma said members who were in the MKP for positions were free to leave and return to the ANC, where fights over positions were part of that organisation’s culture.

The issue of the ANC having infiltrated the MKP was also raised with concerns that this was prevalent in the party at every level and was aimed at sowing division.

Concern was also raised that some political, social, religious or traditional formations had joined the party to pursue their own agendas.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirmed this week that Zuma’s face would appear on the ballot as a substitute for MKP founder Jabulani Khumalo, after a leadership reshuffle.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi confirmed that the MKP had notified them about their change of plans ahead of the May 29 national and provincial elections.

“We can confirm that the face that will be on the ballot for the MKP is that of Jacob Zuma because the party has given us notice that it has changed its leadership structure. Khumalo is no longer the party leader, Zuma is,” he clarified.

Khumalo registered MKP on September 7 last year, and it was officially launched by Zuma on December 16 in Soweto. Last week the party said it had removed Bonginkosi Khanyile and other youth league leaders as part of a “strategic redeployment” and in a move aimed at bolstering the party’s efforts to achieve a “transformative two-thirds majority”.

The party also axed other Youth League members, including deputy president Thapelo Maisha, Gaan Cibane, who served as interim secretary-general, and Philani Gazuzu Ndluli, who holds the position of Gauteng co-ordinator.

MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party had discovered “individuals who were busy setting up parallel structures”.

“There’s always going to be levels of infiltration … we picked them up, we know exactly who’s who and we are making changes, removing people.

“People ask what about stability, but you cannot talk about stability when there are people who are in roles and they themselves are creating instability and sabotage.”

Ndhlela said they had found that people had been funded in certain situations to try to topple the party’s structures after the elections.

“We are dealing with it accordingly. If a person has to move and they are a source of infiltration, then we have to move them. If they are a catalyst for sabotage, we move them.”

However, Ndhlela said not all recent changes in structures were as a result of sabotage or infiltration.

“People will be moved for certain reasons, incompetence and maybe the role is just too big for them, some because of infiltration or other reasons.”

The Mercury