By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
MK party is showing further instability ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE), the party has fired its ninth and current Treasurer-General, Mpiyakhe Limba with immediate effect.
Limba will be replaced by Brian Molefe.
Molefe is a former Eskom and Transnet CEO, currently a Member of Parliament representing the MK Party in the National Assembly.
He was arrested in August 2022 in connection with a R93-million payment to Trillian Capital (a Gupta company run by the flamboyant businessman Eric Wood) for one of the locomotive transactions.
That case is scheduled to come to court in February 2026, while the proceedings against his colleagues has been postponed to October 2026.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela in a statement has confirmed the changes.
Comrade Molefe brings with him extensive experience in public administration, governance, finance and organisational leadership. His proven track record, strategic capability and deep understanding of complex financial systems render him suitably qualified to assume this critical responsibility at this phase of the Party’s growth,” Ndhlela said.
The MK Party was launched in Soweto in December 2023 and stunned the political establishment by emerging as the third-largest party nationally in the 2024 general elections.
It secured 45% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), became the official opposition in Mpumalanga and expanded its influence in Gauteng.
But the party’s rapid ascent has been accompanied by turbulence at the top.
Since its formation, the MK Party has had five secretary general – Floyd Shivanmbu, Arthur Zwane, Sihle Ngubane, Sfiso Maseko and Thanduxolo Dyodo — fuelling questions about internal stability and leadership depth.
Dr Bongani Mncwango is the current secretary-general of the MK Party.
Colleen Makhubele has been replaced by Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi as party chief whip in parliament.
Makhubele will remain a Member of Parliament.
Mokoena-Zondi, the NCOP Chief Whip, to act in a caretaker capacity over the role of Chief Whip.
Ndhlela also confirmed the lifting of the suspension of Vanessa Calvert and her immediate reinstatement as Chief of Staff in the Parliamentary Caucus.
The upcoming polls come as municipalities across the country face worsening service delivery challenges, including unreliable water supply, frequent electricity cuts, poor waste collection, and deteriorating roads.
The IEC announced that the next local elections are expected to take place between November 2, 2026, and January 31, 2027.
Since the 2024 general elections, the IEC has registered 34 new political parties, bringing the total number of registered parties in South Africa to 472 — the highest in the country’s history. Of these, 287 are registered nationally, while 185 operate at provincial, district, or metropolitan levels.