Jabulani Khumalo, founder of the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, has called upon the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to take immediate action in removing former president Jacob Zuma from both the party’s face and its parliamentary candidate roster.
In a letter dated May 5th, Khumalo urgently requested the IEC to expunge Zuma’s name as the “face” of the MK party and to promptly strip him of his presidency within the party. Khumalo alleged that Zuma’s occupancy of both positions stemmed from fraudulent and illegal means.
Furthermore, Khumalo notified Zuma, in a letter of the same date, that he had been placed under “precautionary suspension” due to purported acts of misconduct relating to MK party activities. These actions, Khumalo claimed, had tarnished the party’s reputation and sowed confusion among its members and the public.
Khumalo stated that Zuma’s precautionary suspension was pending disciplinary proceedings, to be conducted in accordance with the MK party’s constitution.
The recent turmoil within the MK party saw Khumalo, along with four other leaders, expelled on April 26th. This internal purge laid bare the party’s instability, even as polls indicated a surge in support for MK, with Ipsos projecting a potential 8.4% of the vote in the upcoming May 29th elections.
The reasons for the leaders’ expulsion were not disclosed by the party, which cited external forces seeking to destabilize it, in a statement following the expulsion. However, allegations surfaced suggesting Khumalo had engaged in clandestine meetings with the ANC without Zuma’s knowledge and mishandled party funds.
Khumalo, who ranked second on the party’s National Assembly candidate list, preceded only by Zuma, acted just ahead of the Constitutional Court’s scheduled hearing on May 10th, 2024. The hearing pertains to an appeal by the IEC against the Electoral Court’s ruling permitting Zuma’s candidacy for the MK party. Initially barred by the IEC due to a contempt of court conviction in 2021, Zuma was later allowed to stand for office following the Electoral Court’s reversal of the decision, Stay update with Latest South Africa Politics News with The Sisters Show
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