MK Party halts recruitment to avoid ‘risk and disorder’
MK Party secretary-general Sifiso Maseko claims that a surge in appointments has led to turmoil within South Africa’s third-largest political party.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has paused recruitment efforts to reduce the risk of disorder and instability.
This was communicated by the party’s secretary-general, Sifiso Maseko, in a letter issued at the weekend.
MK PARTY HALTS RECRUITMENT
In the letter, dated 7 September, Maseko said that over the past few weeks, the MK Party provincial, regional and sub-region leadership had made a flurry of appointments of service providers, administrative personnel and political office bearers.
Maseko said the appointments had created risk and chaos for the Jacob Zuma-led party.
“Such deployments and actions are to cease immediately, and comrades are expected to desist from all such appointments and deployments in observance of this moratorium.
“The MK Party is in the process of restructuring and calibrating the deployment of all personnel as these appointments are the key engine of the party. Accordingly, unless and until comrades have heard from the National Secretariat, the appointments mentioned above are not to be undertaken till notified otherwise,” Maseko said in the letter.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR FLOYD SHIVAMBU?
Maseko’s letter comes as former Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Floyd Shivambu was recently appointed as MK Party national organiser.
Shivambu’s job includes building the party’s structures as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.
Following his appointment, Maseko said Shivambu is also tasked with overseeing research and policy development, and appointing MK party members to parliament and provincial legislatures.
DISMISSED MPS LOSE COURT BID TO BE REINSTATED
Meanwhile, the 10 expelled MK Party members of Parliament lost their court bid to be reinstated in the National Assembly.
On Monday, 9 September, the Western Cape High Court dismissed their application with costs.
The fired members are Thami Khuzwayo, Isaac Menyatso, Mpho Motshegoe, Augustin Madala Qwetha, Grace Mgwebi, Ntombenhle Mkhize, Matholeni Masilela, Bongani Mfiki, Senzo Dlamini, and Agnes Mogotsi.
To replace them, the Zuma-led party sworn in Mzwanele Manyi who recently ditched the EFF, corruption-accused former heads of state-owned enterprises Brian Molefe, Siyabonga Gama and Lucky Montana and another Zuma loyalist Thulani Gamede whose name was removed on the eleventh hour from the list of MK Party members heading to the KZN legislature.
Following the ruling, MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party was negatively impacted in terms of voting in Parliament as it could not use the full strength of its numbers in Parliament.
“The court’s punitive order only reaffirms our initial position, that this matter should have been dealt and dispensed with internally as this has brought the organisation into disrepute.
“All due procedures were followed in expediting the matter and we have been vindicated. The courts cannot be subjected to frivolous applications by wounded party members who fail to not only comprehend but also adhere to the party line,” he said.