MK Party founder wants Zuma removed from ballot paper and candidate list

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party founder Jabulani Khumalo says he has written to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) requesting the immediate removal of Jacob Zuma as the face and president of the newly formed party.

Khumalo’s request comes as the country is heading to hotly contested polls in three weeks.

‘JACOB ZUMA IS NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE MK PARTY’

In April, the party expelled Khumalo alongside Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng, and Rochelle Davidson. The party said the suspension is a commitment to purify itself from rogue elements that would blur its lines to the two-thirds majority.

In a letter dated 5 May, Khumalo said he formed the party in 2023 and registered it in September of the same year. Prior to the registration, he consulted with former president Jacob Zuma.

Khumalo said it was Zuma who suggested that the party should be aligned to the ruling party (ANC) because the brand is entrenched within the public and population.

“In fact, the name uMkhonto weSizwe was proposed by Zuma. I was responsible for the registration of MKP with the Electoral Commission and Zuma also assisted with raising funds for the registration,” he said.

Furthermore, Khumalo said Zuma also proposed that MK Party be launched on 16 December as this coincides with the launch of the ANC-aligned uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association.

“It was always understood that Zuma is not a member of MKP but would assist it in campaigning. 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,” Khumalo explained.

ZUMA’S FACE SHOULD BE REMOVED

In addition, Khumalo said there had been rumours that the former ANC president wanted to hijack MKP; however, he rejected them because he thought his relationship with Zuma was solid.

He said before his expulsion he was called into a meeting with several individuals who are not on the national executive committee but have been active within the party.

“Zuma announced that I had been removed as the president of the party, and he would henceforth be the president of the party. During that meeting, a fraudulent letter was prepared for transmission to the IEC announcing that I would no longer be on the list of candidates and that Zuma would be the face and the president of the MKP.

“I sent a letter to the Electoral Commission in which I confirmed that Zuma would be the face of the party. At no stage did I confirm that Zuma would be the president of the party.

“I request urgently that the Electoral Commission should remove Zuma’s name as the ‘face’ of MK Party. He should also be immediately removed as the president of the MK Party. He occupies these positions through fraudulent manoeuvres,” Khumalo said.