MK Party founder Jabulani Khumalo fails in attempt to retain control of bank account

Jabulani Khumalo, the founder of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has lost his legal battle to stay on as a signatory for the party’s bank account, which is aligned with Jacob Zuma.

Despite being expelled and removed as leader Khumalo wanted to remain as a signatory of the party’s Standard Bank account.

FORMER MK PARTY LEADER LOSES ANOTHER COURT CASE

As previously reported, Khumalo founded and registered the MK Party in 2023. He was expelled ahead of the historic 29 May elections alongside Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng, and Rochelle Davidson. The party said the suspension was a commitment to purify itself from rogue elements that would blur its lines to the two-thirds majority.

Khumalo opened the account that he wanted to remain a signatory of while he was party leader. It was reportedly frozen because he refused to give the party access to it.

On Monday, 23 September, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered that Standard Bank should remove him as a signatory and that he should pay the MK Party’s costs.

EXPELLED LEADER ACCUSES ZUMA OF HIJACKING HIS PARTY

In a letter issued after he was expelled Khumalo accused Zuma of hijacking the MK Party.

Khumalo said before his expulsion, he was called into a meeting with several individuals who were not on the national executive committee but were 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.

He is challenging his expulsion in the Electoral Court and no decision has been made regarding his application.

DECISION WELCOMED

MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said Khumalo wanted to hang on to being a signatory to the party’s bank account under the pretext that his expulsion is on appeal.

Ndhlela said Khumalo’s application had no basis as his appeal relates only to the issue of the face of the party on the ballot paper which has long been overtaken by events.

“It is clear that Khumalo is well funded by enemies of the MK Party. He continues to collect punitive cost orders,” he said.