Only elective conference will save MK Party from total collapse
Former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party has suspended its Deputy President and Leader of the MKP parliamentary caucus, Dr John Hlophe, with immediate effect, pending a full investigation into his conduct.
Image: Facebook/MKP
THE only way to save Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSezwe Party (MK Party) from persisting instability is for the organisation to go to an elective conference, otherwise, it may not see next year’s elections.
That is the warning political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast has sounded after Zuma’s fallout with his deputy Dr John Hlophe.
The party suspended Hlophe on Wednesday night for removing the MK Party’s parliament chief whip Colleen Makhubele. Hlophe had, according to the party, unilaterally removed Makhubele without consultation with the party or Zuma and replaced her with Des van Rooyen.
From left: First MKP deputy president John Hlophe, president Jacob Zuma and second deputy president Tony Yengeni seen together recently in Durban. Hlophe is reportedly on his way out of the party.
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Media
Zuma, who was out of the country when Makhubele was removed, then reversed Hlophe’s decision and issued him with a precautionary suspension.
However, Hlophe reportedly defied the suspension and dared Zuma to fire him instead of suspending him.
Hlophe reportedly wrote on his X account, asking the party’s head of presidency Magasela Mzobe to request Zuma to terminate his party membership rather than suspend him. He also reportedly notified party members that he would not be attending the plenary session which was to take place on Thursday.
Breakfast said Zuma’s 'despotic running of his party will have serious implications for it in the local government elections next year'. Breakfast said Zuma is 'destroying the party he founded by running it as his spaza shop'.
He said Zuma’s ‘undemocratic’ approach has created instability which will haunt him and the party in the next year’s local government elections.
“People will not vote for a party that is unstable, like this one. The (party's) constitution must clearly guide members on how to operate, right now it looks like Zuma does as he pleases,” said Breakfast.
MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela did not respond to questions on the impact of the fallout between the two senior party leaders.
However, in the statement issued on Wednesday night, the party said Hlophe did not consult before taking his decision to remove Makhubele and therefore Zuma decided to suspend him from both his leadership roles as a caucus leader and as the deputy party president, pending the investigation.
Cape Times