Impeached John Hlophe Appointed As Chief Whip Of MK Party

In a surprising move, the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, founded by former President Jacob Zuma, has appointed John Hlophe as the party’s chief whip in the National Assembly.

This appointment follows a series of contentious events involving Hlophe, who was impeached earlier this year after a parliamentary vote.

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John Hlophe’s appointment comes at a time of significant controversy. Earlier this year, Hlophe was impeached after 305 members of parliament voted in favour of the motion, while only 25 voted against it.

This made him the first judge to be impeached since the advent of democracy in South Africa. The impeachment stemmed from accusations in 2008, where Hlophe was alleged to have attempted to influence the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Scorpions’ search and seizure operations involving French arms manufacturer Thint and Jacob Zuma.

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Despite the significance of his appointment, the MK party has not formally announced Hlophe’s new role. Instead, an internal document revealed that he had already been appointed as chief whip.

The MK party earned 58 seats in the May 29 elections but chose to abstain from the first sitting of the National Assembly on June 14, where members of parliament were sworn in.

In a document authorized by MK party secretary-general Arthur Zwane, the party emphasized the need for centralizing key responsibilities and financial management.

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Zwane stated that this measure is crucial for ensuring stability, uniformity in operations, and effective resource management as the party aims to solidify its provincial and regional structures. This centralization is also seen as a preparatory step for the upcoming local government elections.

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