Cape Town — A group of expelled umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party MPs is raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of their recent ousting, alleging manipulation and unfair practices by certain party members.
Ten of the eighteen expelled MPs have taken legal action, bringing their case to the Western Cape High Court to challenge their expulsion and block the swearing-in of new MPs.
In a statement following a press briefing on Thursday, the expelled MPs expressed frustration over what they described as an internal coup led by Sihle Ngubane, Duduzile Zuma, Mnqobi Msezane, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, and Muzi Ntshingila, IOL reported.
They alleged that these individuals acted without the knowledge or consent of party leader Jacob Zuma and the broader leadership, fostering an atmosphere of fear and intimidation where dissent is harshly punished, the report said.
LISTEN: Expelled MK Party MPs say they were never informed of their expulsion. – Thami Khuzwayo (Spokesperson of the group of 10)
MK Party Spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndlela; has said “We engaged with them in a civil manner to inform them that this is the situation and that they… pic.twitter.com/Ob7aXpKaEa
— Athi Mtongana (@AthiMtongana) August 22, 2024
“We urge the MK Party to take decisive action to address these issues. If not, the integrity and future of our organisation are at risk,” the report quoted the group as saying.
According to The Herald, the expelled members accused the party’s parliamentary leadership of fraud and bypassing due processes in their removal.
Ten of the expelled MPs have taken their case to the Cape Town High Court, seeking to challenge their dismissal and halt the appointment of new MPs.
Thami Khuzwayo, speaking on behalf of the group, claimed they never received official expulsion or resignation letters and suggested that any such documents may have been forged.
“The abrupt termination of our positions undermines our livelihoods and responsibilities as parents, household heads and breadwinners,” Khuzwayo said, as per the report.
He added: “We never imagined that at some point we would be here but we are forced by the circumstances.
“We have played a crucial role in the building of the party, in whatever capacity that we could … we are not going to accept abuse from a few individuals who do not want to see this organisation and this country going forward.”
The MK Party is embroiled in an internal dispute that has spilled over into the courts. Out of the 18 expelled MPs, 10 have now approached the courts to have their dismissals reversed. Their legal representative, Adv Simba Chitando says due process was not followed. #DStv03 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/xw3ixxtlJH
— eNCA (@eNCA) August 22, 2024
Meawhile, former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu was on Thursday named the new national organiser of the MK Party.
Shivambu, who recently left the EFF after serving as its deputy president since its founding in 2013, joined the MK Party last week.
The announcement was made during a briefing attended by MK Party President Jacob Zuma.
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Compiled by Lauren Petersen
