DRAMA in uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) continues. Party founder Jabulani Khumalo has written to the Electoral Commission to have them remove “party leader” Jacob Zuma from the ballot paper.
In a letter dated 5 May, Khumalo said he formed and registered the party in September 2023, and prior to the registration, he consulted with former president Jacob Zuma.
He said during consultations, Zuma proposed that any name of the party should be aligned to the ANC because there are too many political parties, and the ANC brand is already entrenched.
“In fact, the name uMkhonto Wesizwe was proposed by Mr Zuma. I was responsible for the registration of MKP with the Electoral Commission. Mr Zuma also assisted with raising funds for the registration, which was around R705 000," Khumalo said.
“During December 2023, Mr Zuma proposed that MKP should be launched on 16 December because that is the date when the real Umkhonto weSizwe was launched. I agreed with his proposal,” stated the letter.
Khumalo further said it was always understood that Zuma is not a member of MKP but would assist it in campaigning and in fact, when he announced his decision to vote and campaign for MKP on 16 December 2023 he made it clear he would remain a member of the ANC.
He added that Zuma is not a member of the executive committee.
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“There had been rumours that Mr Zuma intended to highjack the party, but I rejected these rumours because I understood that the relationship with Mr Zuma was solid.
“On 23 April 2024, I was called into a meeting with several individuals who are not in the national executive committee but have been active in the MKP, Mr Zuma announced that I had been removed as the president of the party and he would hence become the president of MKP,” he said.
He also stated that after the elections, there are plans to make Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma party president.
In April, the party released a statement saying it has expelled Khumalo alongside Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng, and Rochelle Davidson, citing reasons that the expulsion is a commitment to purify itself from rogue elements that would blur its lines to the two-thirds majority.
In his request to the Commission, Khumalo requested it to urgently remove Zuma’s name as the "face" of the MKP and immediately remove him as party president.
He said Zuma occupies both positions through fraudulent and illegal manoeuvres.
This is a developing story.
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