By Sihle Mavuso
The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party is changing the list of MPs that represent it in the National Assembly, claiming that its original list was “sabotaged” and contained the names of people who were not eligible to represent it.
The list change that affects 18 MPs is contained in a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, that was leaked to the media.
MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said most of the MPs they are changing now were not supposed to be there in the first place, others were no longer party members, and some were relatives and friends of individuals.
“Our candidate list that was submitted to the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission], in effect, was sabotaged.
“We … opened a case at the Sandton police station where we cited certain irregularities of names that were put in there that were not supposed to be there, one of those being … President [Jacob] Zuma.
“Our strategy was never to have him on the list in the first place,” Ndlela said.
Among the prominent figures the party intends to be its replacement MPs is Thulani Gamede from Durban, a loyalist of former president Zuma, the MK leader.
Gamede worked with Zuma to revive the South African National Civics Organisation in KwaZulu-Natal and was elected to lead it as provincial chairperson.
In June this year, Gamede was on the list of members to take up positions in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, but his name was removed overnight, and he could not be sworn in.
While some MK members like Nhlanhla Ngidi retired from politics after the debacle in June when their names did not appear on the list for the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Gamede stayed on and said he would forever be loyal to Zuma.
Also on the list of new MPs is Zibuse Cele, a former MK combatant who organised some of the members of the ANC’s former armed wing to guard Zuma’s Nkandla residence in June 2021, when the former president was about to be jailed following his contempt of court conviction.
Another new MP is Name Serame – a former ANC leader who was among the first to join the MK party last year and swayed members of ANC branches in Durban to vote for MK in the May elections.
Pictured above: Jacob Zuma was not supposed to be on the list, according to MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela.
Source: flickr.com
