Flip flop – MK party has welcomed back its recently fired secretary-general, Arthur Zwane

By Velani Ludidi

11 Jul 2024

Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto Wesizwe party has made a U-turn and reinstated Zwane after firing him a week ago.

In a surprising turn of events, the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party has reinstated its secretary-general, Arthur Zwane, who had been fired and subsequently resigned last week. Zwane, who was initially ousted by party leader Jacob Zuma, had cited an overwhelming workload and competing business interests as his reasons for stepping down.

The removal and resignation of Zwane sent shockwaves through the MK party, causing concern among its members. According to sources within the party, senior MK leaders approached Zuma to resolve the disagreement that led to Zwane's departure. Known for his articulate communication and leadership, Zwane is a beloved figure within the MK party.

On Thursday morning, MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela announced in a statement that Zuma had met with Zwane and decided not to accept his resignation letter.

“Given the turbulent times our country is experiencing under the current coalition, and with all South Africans looking to the MK party for leadership, maintaining strong capacity, unity, and continuity within our ranks is more important than ever,” the statement read.

Read more on Daily Maverick: Leadership shake-up at Jacob Zuma’s breakaway MK party

Dr Sifiso Maseko, who had briefly replaced Zwane, has been reassigned to the human resources department within the party. Ndhlela said that Maseko’s new role would focus on enhancing the party’s operations, particularly in establishing structures and offices throughout the country.

The statement did not address the status of former treasurer-general Danisa Zulu, who was also fired by Zuma.

Speculation remains about the involvement of Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, in the removal of senior MK party members. Accusations suggest that she is using her influence as the daughter of the former president to eliminate perceived threats to her quest for power.

Zuma-Sambudla, recently sworn in as a member of Parliament, addressed these rumours in a statement. She said that as a daughter of a former president, she expected nothing less than scrutiny and criticism.

“Certain individuals have tried to infiltrate MK party”

“There have been certain identified individuals of the ANC that have tried and continue to infiltrate MK party to usurp power for themselves in a plan to take over the party through strategically deployed agents, and in so doing attempt to discredit me,” she said.

“I am not a TG (treasurer-general), SG (secretary-general), and neither do I play an influential role in MK party, but as a daughter to a father whom I will defend with my life, no matter the views that try to drive a wedge between a father and a daughter, I will do so unapologetically and without any level of intimidation brought against me.”

As the MK party navigates these internal challenges, Ndhlela called on all members and South Africans to continue rallying behind the party to build a strong and resilient organisation capable of protecting and enhancing the gains made thus far.

Meanwhile, despite standing a good chance of holding chairperson positions in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature’s portfolio committees, the MK party squandered all that when it staged a walkout on Tuesday.

As the party that holds the majority in the legislature, the MK party was going to elect chairpersons of committees.

The party said it was not happy with how the proceedings had been carried out, and decided to walk out. This led to the ANC, IFP and DA sharing all the portfolio committees among themselves. DM

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