THE uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) expelled its founder, Jabulani Khumalo and other members due to “ill-discipline” and alleged involvement with “rogue elements”.
On Saturday, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party held a special meeting to decide on the future of the Khumalos, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng and Rochelle Davidson.
Jabulani Khumalo registered the MKP with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on September 7 .
“At a meeting by the national leadership core, and in light of attempts by external forces to destabilise the MK Party, whose aim is to advance a revolution of the people, the national leadership core has taken a decision to expel the comrades,” he said.
The party, which has been in existence for just over five months, said it took ill-discipline seriously. “We want to categorically state that the national leadership core always act and make decisions in the interests of all patriotic South Africans that want to see change. We urge all MK Party members to be disciplined and trust the leadership as we work towards gaining support for a campaign that will emancipate the downtrodden people of our country,” he said.
The party has indicated that it will not spare any leaders who fail to toe the party line as it seeks to assert itself as a transparent organisation.
Speaking to SABC News on the mass expulsion, political analyst Levy Ndou said the decision would hardly make an impact on the party. “When you have such a party losing members or expelling members at such an early stage, and (so close to) the elections, it should be worrying for the MK Party, in a sense that it is now that they need people in order for them to be able to make a mark in the elections. But on the other hand, you would love a situation where you have a political party and you have rules and regulations which are not been followed and you just leave everybody to do as they wish.”
Analyst Thobani Zikalala says the expulsions will ultimately not damage the party’s chances in the elections.
“This does not look good in terms of how the party is organised, but remember, everyone who seems to be associated with the party is associated mostly because former president Jacob Zuma is there. I do not think that there is going be a very big impact because the figure that has brought so many people so far is still there,” he said.
Addressing the issue on Saturday, uMkhonto WeSizwe Party member Bonginkosi Khanyile indicated that the party only knows Jacob Zuma as its leader.
“In this revolution we don’t know Jabulani Khumalo, but this revolution knows uMsholozi. Jacob Zuma has been in the ANC NEC for more than 60 years and Cyril Ramaphosa knows that,” Khanyile said.
“You want to call me into a hotel to tell me that Zuma is not a leader; we will never allow that. Khumalo was running around like a headless chicken with no direction,” said Khanyile.
The Star