Durban — Cracks are starting to show within the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) following the removal of youth leaders, including the vociferous Bonginkosi Khanyile.
Minenhle Cibane, who was appointed as the MKP Youth League (MKPYL) interim secretary-general in January, was among those removed. Cibane told the Sunday Tribune that this was due to internal differences.
“Like, which party does not have cracks? Please don’t judge us, we are only three months old. There are established political parties that are failing right now,” he said.
In a press statement, MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed that Khanyile was sacked, Gauteng co-ordinator Philani Gazuzu Nduli was also removed and Thabelo Maisha was stripped of the league’s interim deputy president position.
Welcoming the removals, the MKYL’s Greater Johannesburg Region said the region had previously made numerous calls for Nduli to be removed “due to his bullying behaviour towards comrades in the region and province at large”.
“We further call upon the leadership that will be appointed to these vacancies to lift all unfair suspensions that were sanctioned under the former leadership,” read a statement.
Cibane declined to say what problems the party was facing internally and was adamant that he was in a position of power.
“As far as I know, I am still the SG (secretary-general) and the president is still the president.
“There are problems internally, but no one has been removed. There are internal matters that we are dealing with internally, but everything is still alright,” he said.
Ndhlela said the removal of the league leadership “heralds a new chapter of the MK Party”.
In a letter directed to Maisha on Tuesday which ended up on Facebook, MKP secretary-general Sihle Ngubane said: “You are hereby removed from the position of Interim Deputy President of uMkhonto weSizwe Youth League (MKYL). This removal is effective from today.”
Ngubane sent a similar letter to Nduli.
“Your role going forward will be a normal member of the MKYL. You will be notified of your redeployment in due course. MK Party appreciates your role played thus far,” read the letter.
Cibane said the letter was a result of the “internal matters I was telling you about, but we are dealing with it”.
Ndhlela’s press statement read: “This decision comes after thoughtful considerations and is aimed at bolstering our efforts to achieve a transformative majority.”
It also commended the role they played in building the party, which “laid a strong foundation for the positive changes we aspire to bring”.
“As these young leaders embark on their new roles, we are inspired by their commitment and energy to focusing on garnering youth to support MK in these elections. We are looking forward to working closely with them in the campaign for a ⅔ majority,” read Ndhlela’s statement.
Jabulani Khumalo, who registered the party with the IEC, said he was not aware of the latest developments. “I cannot comment on that because I was not in a meeting (which took the decision). We are just going to have an NEC meeting and I will ask the president (Zuma) what is happening,” said Khumalo.
Ndhlela told the Sunday Tribune that the removal of the leaders was a strategic political programme for the elections. He said since everyone in the party was a volunteer, their work for the party was not attached to positions.
He said the party had been rotating its leaders, such as Thanduxolo “Gorbachev” Dyodo, who was removed from being secretary-general.
“We have a new SG. We have a different TG (treasurer-general), we have a different DSG (deputy secretary-general) and national organiser.”
Sunday Tribune