uMkhonto weSizwe Party Suspends John Hlophe Over Colleen Makhubele Decision, South Africans Discuss
- The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has taken action against its deputy president, Dr John Hlope
- The party has also taken a decision on Des van Rooyen's appointment as the new Chief Whip of the MKP
- South Africans weighed in on the party's decisions, sharing divided reactions to why the moves were made
Source: Facebook
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL – It has been a busy 24 hours for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, as the movement led by Jacob Zuma has had two different Chief Whips and suspended one of its deputy presidents.
Dr Mandlakayise John Hlophe was suspended with immediate effect on the night of Wednesday, 5 November, pending an investigation into some of his decisions. Earlier on Wednesday, Hlope removed Colleen Makhubele and replaced her with Des van Rooyen as the party’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly. The party did not provide an official reason for Makhubele’s dismissal.
Dr Hlope was placed on precautionary suspension
Following his return from a trip to Burkina Faso, Zuma met with national officials and was briefed about the changes. The decision was then made to suspend Dr Hlope, who is also the leader of the MKP parliamentary caucus.
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The MKP noted that the decision was made to send a strong message regarding the principle of collective leadership across all the party’s structures.
The party announced the decision in an official statement, in which it also clarified that Dr Hlope’s
“Consequently, the decision taken by Dr Hlophe to remove Comrade Collen Makhubele and appoint Comrade Des Van Rooyen is therefore nullified,” the statement read.
Van Rooyen is no stranger to holding positions for a short period of time. In December 2015, Zuma, then president, appointed him as the country’s Minister of Finance.
The markets reacted negatively to his appointment, and Zuma reversed the decision four days later, moving van Rooyen to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. His very brief stint as the MK Party’s Chief Whip meant that he was the fourth person to hold the post since the 2024 National Election.
Source: Twitter
South Africans weigh in on Dr Hlope’s suspension
Social media users were amused by the decision, with some noting the party’s reputation for disciplining members, while others said that they saw it coming.
The Word of God Almighty said:
“The joke is on Mr Hlope. He thought he was invisible.”
Lucky L. Mthombeni added:
“Many of you thought Zuma was playing when he said that the only permanent positions in the MKP are his and his daughter's.”
SphithiPhithi Wethu speculated:
“So, Zuma is paving the way for Tony Yengeni to be the new parliamentary leader of the MKP.”
Mzilikazi Khumalo noted:
“From Judge President to this, talk about falling from a dizzying height.”
Sifiso Zulu said:
“It was expected. That's why I didn't buy this story of two deputies they once told us.”
Lehlohonolo Malaza Luxen Tsoeute suggested:
“They are paving the way for Tony Yengeni.”
Simphiwe Majolandile Mtya added:
“He (Hlope) is going to join Floyd. Mark my words.”
Mzwanele Manyi removed as Chief Whip
Briefly News previously reported that the party also removed Mzwanele Manyi from his position as a Chief Whip.
The decision was reportedly made due to internal politics in relation to his relationship with Dr Hlophe.
The party denied the claims and maintained that there was no tension between the two members.
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Source: Briefly News
