MK Party Fires Chief Whip Colleen Makhubele After Expose

• The MK Party had fired a senior official after serious allegations against her were raised
• Colleen Makhubele, who joined the party in 2025, was axed after allegations of misconduct surfaced against her
• The party replaced her with MK Party member Desmond Van Rooyen, who was a finance minister for a brief period

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial, and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties, and Parliament.

GAUTENG — The MK Party has replaced its former Chief Whip, Colleen Makhubele, with Des van Rooyen, the former Finance Minister. This was after the party fired Makhubele.

According to IOL, the party officially announced the replacement of Makhubele with Des Van Rooyen. It did not mention why Makhubele was removed from the party. An internal report alleged that Makhubele tried to secure a contract worth over R180,000 for a company her husband is a director of. She also allegedly failed a vetting process for the Intelligence Portfolio Committee.

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MK member suspended

Makhubele also allegedly suspended the party's chief of staff, Vanessa Calvert, for refusing to authorise Makhubele's husband's company for the contract. She resumed her role shortly after Makhubele was removed. Van Rooyen is the party's fourth Chief Whip. However, Makhubele denied that she failed a vetting process. She also denied that she was subjected to a vetting process for the Crime Intelligence Portfolio Committee.

Stories about the MK Party's leadership

The party has removed numerous leaders since its formation. The party's president, Jacob Zuma, fired the former Mpumalanga convenor Mary Phadi after she was allegedly linked to an assassination plot. She was accused of plotting to assassinate another MK Party member, General Tough Mdluli.

However, even after Zuma appointed former Public Protector Busi Mkhwebane as the convenor, Phadi continued conducting herself as the party's convenor after she was reinstated after winning a court case against the party. Two factions in the province battled for control of the party. Some members supported Phadi while others stood with Mkhwebane. However, her reinstatement was later overturned.

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Party MPs reportedly called on Makhubele to be fired. She was accused of being a threat to he party's unity. This was a month after she was appointed as the Chief Whip, replacing Mzwanele Manyi. She was accused of demonstrating poor leadership and of making unilateral decisions and betraying party ideology.

Mzwanele Manyi removed as Chief Whip

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the party fired Mzwanele Manyi from his position as a Chief Whip. This was due to internal politics in relation to his relationship with the party's president, Dr John Hlophe.

Manyi reportedly gave Dr Hlophe a different speech to read at the State of the Nation Address, which took place in February. This fuelled allegations of tension between the two. The party, however, had denied that there was tension between the two.

Source: Briefly News