Jacob Zuma promises to crack down on parallel structures in new party

FORMER president Jacob Zuma has hinted about why some leaders of uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) have been removed.

This week, the party axed interim youth leader Bonginkosi Khanyile, secretary-general of the youth Gaan Cibane, interim deputy youth league president Thapelo Maisha and interim provincial co-ordinator for Gauteng Gazuzu Nduli.

The MKP said they would be deployed in strategic positions, but did not give further reasons for the changes.

However, Zuma said they would deal with people who were running parallel structures in the party.

He did not mention anyone by name, but said the party would explain later why such people were removed.

Zuma said on Thursday that the party only has interim structures but there were people in the MKP who were running parallel structures.

He said they had to act and remove those who were involved in parallel structures.

The former president was addressing party supporters outside the Johannesburg High Court after the postponement of his case to privately prosecute President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He said the MKP would not allow people who want to take over structures by force. The party would focus on permanent structures after the elections. But for now, it had interim structures and would not permit bullies to take over its structures, Zuma said.

“That is why, from time to time, we are making announcements that we have removed this one (person) because he has done this and that. We will tell you later what they have done,” said Zuma.

“I want you to know that we are not like other parties, we are a different party. We want to do things our own way. Those who want to take positions by force, sorry.

“We said the interim structures are interim, they can’t be anything else. They are not permanent, they are interim. If you are given that position in the interim structure work hard to show you can lead even in a permanent structure,” said Zuma.

After the elections, the MKP would start to focus on the other matters.

He said they want to build a party that respected the nation and the elderly.

This was the party that they would build in the next few months. |