uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party founder Jabulani Khumalo has placed Jacob Zuma under precautionary suspension and wants the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to remove the former president from its parliamentary list.
Khumalo’s move comes amidst his expulsion from the party by Zuma late last month for “indiscipline”, and days before the Constitutional Court is due to hear an appeal by the IEC against an electoral court ruling allowing Zuma to stand on the ballot.
The latest drama involving the ANC’s newest breakaway party began on Sunday, when Khumalo, who describes himself as the party’s leader wrote to Zuma informing him that he had been suspended.
In the letter, Khumalo said Zuma had committed “several acts of misconduct in relation to the activities of the MKP”.
Khumalo said Zuma’s precautionary suspension would be followed by disciplinary proceedings against him by the party.
The IEC issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon confirming that it had received the letter from the MK party founder. However, it said it did not interfere in the affairs of political parties.
Khumalo and several other MK party members were expelled at the end of April, with party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela accusing him of using party funds to buy expensive new vehicles.
Ndhlela also accused Khumalo of working on behalf of the ANC to undermine the MK party, which has been rocked by allegations of fraud in the process of collecting signatures to get on the ballot from within.
In his letter to the IEC, Khumalo called for the “immediate removal” of Zuma “as the face of the MKP and president of the MKP”.
He accused Zuma of hijacking the party and fraudulently getting him removed from the party’s electoral list. Khumalo also revealed how the MK party was formed and what role the former head of state played in the process.
In addition, Zuma’s daughter Duduzile was accused by Khumalo of having “publicly disgraced my name” since the leader of another opposition party was allegedly planning to take over the MK party leadership following elections.
