By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Disgruntled uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party members hurled insults and pelted its founder Jabulani Khumalo with various objects as he was leaving the Electoral Court.
Khumalo wants the court to declare Jacob Zuma’s move to the party’s leadership as invalid and wants the court to compel the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to register him (Khumalo) as the party’s leader.
After the hearing, angry MK members waited outside court and ran towards Khumalo who was walking to the car in the company of his bodyguards.
“Get away from here, we don’t want you! …We will shoot you!” said some of the visibly angry members.
Khumalo’s security guards crashed into two cars while trying to get away from the angry crowd.
He was ousted from the party in April. Khumalo was expelled alongside Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng and Rochelle Davidson.
Khumalo’s legal counsel, Mfesane Ka-Siboto, wants the Electoral Court to declare Khumalo’s removal and Zuma’s subsequent elevation as the leader to be declared invalid and unlawful.
The court heard that the former president’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, forged Khumalo’s signature on a document to the IEC to create the impression that he was stepping down and Zuma would be his replacement.
The court challenge took place a day after the IEC announced the official results of the 2024 general elections.
The MK party replaced the EFF as the third-largest party nationally.
Mfesane ka Siboto, said the signatures on the letters sent to the IEC are different.
Fifteen minutes into the address by Ka-Siboto, Zuma fell asleep. He was nudged awake by his council who was alerted to his nap by journalists snapping pictures of him on the bench.
Advocate Philisiwe May for the party and Zuma asked the court: “If this has nothing to do with the elections – why are we here on an urgent basis?”
She said Khumalo was asking the IEC to act above its mandate, as it did not have any power to determine who the party leader was.
Therefore, May added, Khumalo could not ask the court to order the IEC to reinstate him as the party’s head.
After tea, advocate Dali Mpofu for the MK and Zuma apologised to the court for the “frivolous defamatory” case, which he argued was a criminal case as it related to perjury and not a case for the Electoral Court.
In his usual tongue-in-cheek way, he spoke about the length of Ka-Siboto’s address to the court, “wherein he becomes a hand-writing expert”.
He said Zuma and his daughter would consider charges of defamation because of the serious nature of the allegations.
Advocate Mitchell De Beer for the IEC told the court the commission did not declare Zuma the leader, so there was nothing for it to review. He agreed the case should be heard in a criminal court.
Judgement has been Reserved.
Meanwhile the party has announced a task team to oversee the party’s functions in KwaZulu-Natal following its surprise election victory.
The 17-member structure includes mostly local chiefs.
The party’s secretary general, Sihle Ngubane, said the task team will have various functions.
“In light of attempting to stabilise provincial functionality and normalise or provide solutions to the persistent parallel structures, improve performance and visibility to provinces, also looking forward to the 2026 local government preparations.”
The task team is taking over from KZN coordinator Simphiwe Mpungose, who has since been removed.
“You are hereby removed from the position of Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal province. This removal is effective from today.
“Your role going forward will be to be a normal member of the MK Party. You will be notified of your redeployment in due course. MK Party appreciates your role played thus far,” he added.