Zuma is MK Party leader, IEC confirms

THE leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) is Jacob Zuma, Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Deputy Commissioner Mosotho Moepya said yesterday.

Moepya said as far as the commission was concerned, Zuma remained MK leader for as long as the IEC had not received communication that said otherwise.

“It’s not because we are saying so as the IEC, it’s because we are informed by the party itself. When we do these things, we do them in writing, so we recognise Mr Zuma,” he said.

Moepya’s comments are consistent with MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela’s statement that informed Independent Media that the only person who could de-register the party was former president Zuma alone.

According to IEC records, Zuma is the registered leader of the MKP.

This has been the case since April 10, 2024.

The founder and person who registered the party last year, Jabulani Khumalo, wrote to the IEC and asked it to remove Zuma as the “face of MKP and as the president of the MKP”.

Some believe Khumalo was mounting a fightback against Zuma, who has removed him from the party.

Announcing his expulsion, the MKP claimed to have relied on intelligence that brought Khumalo’s conduct into question.

Khumalo also said he had suspended Zuma as party member. However, the MKP said it had not received any formal communication from Khumalo which sought the removal of Zuma as party president.

Ndhlela said that they had not received any formal letter from Khumalo about the matter.

The organisation said the reason it was expelling rogue members was that it wanted to “cleanse and purify itself from rogue elements” that would blur its lines to achieve a two-thirds majority.

Meanwhile, the MKP Youth League released a statement cautioning Khumalo through its spokesperson, Nkateko Mkhabela.

“We outrightly reject Mr Jabulani Khumalo and any affiliations associated with him and vehemently refuse and reject to be led by a fly-by-night individual,” said Mkhabela.