MK Party: Mkhwebane is the sole recognised convenor in MP
Although Mary Phadi won her case against the MK Party, the Zuma-led party maintains that Busisiwe Mkhwebane is the duly appointed convenor in Mpumalanga.
The UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has announced its intention to appeal the Mpumalanga High Court’s ruling that reinstates Mary Phadi as the convenor in the province.
Phadi was fired for alleged mismanagement of funds and hatching an assassination plot against her rival in the party.
MK PARTY TO CHALLENGE MARY PHADI’S REINSTATEMENT
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party was never served with legal papers and thus filed no opposing affidavit nor made representations, therefore it is their view that what transpired is a gross miscarriage of justice.
Ndhlela said after retrieving the legal papers and consulting with our legal team, they have come to the decision that they will be appealing the decision of the Mpumalanga Hight Court appeal.
“We believe and anticipate that once our case is presented against the applicant, the judges will find that the interim order in favour of Mary Phadi was based on a misrepresentation of facts,” he said.
BUSISIWE MKHWEBANE THE ONLY RECOGNISED CONVENOR
Further, Ndhlela said they must hasten to highlight that the order granted by the High Court is interlocutory pending of her removal.
“We wish to state that Commander Busisiwe Mkhwebane as appointed and supported by President Jacob Zuma, remains the appointed Convener of the Mpumalanga Province and we are fully committed, and confident in her leadership in executing the People’s Mandate,” he added.
Speaking to journalists outside the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela on Tuesday, Phadi said the MK Party’s internal processes were not followed when she was fired. As a result, she has been reinstated as the convenor in the province.
Additionally, Phadi said she has been reinstated as a member of the Mpumalanga legislature and party leader in the legislature.
Phadi said Zuma had appointed her to all three positions she held before expulsion.
“We will be engaging with the president to say that the common ground and understanding is that we are not fighting uMkhonto weSizwe, we are requesting that we must go to 2026 [local elections] with Nxamalala [Jacob Zuma], we love our Nxamalala, and we want to go to 2026 with him. That’s why we’re saying these people from the EFF must not come and take over what we have worked for,” she added.