Africa-Press – South-Africa. MK Party parliamentary leader John Hlophe says party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela defied his dismissal from the whippery, wanting it to be authorised by party leader Jacob Zuma.
He also accused some in the caucus of wanting to pursue personal interests.
“He [Ndhlela] rocked up at a meeting and said he didn’t get the letter terminating his membership as a whip,” Hlophe told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday.
“The chief whip immediately said, ‘If you didn’t receive the letter, we’ll give it to you after the meeting’. His excuse was he has not received the letter, he doesn’t know what we are talking about, alternatively, his removal must be sanctioned by the [leader] of [the party].”
Listen to Hlophe:
Hlophe, with chief whip Colleen Makhubele, briefed the media to address tensions in the party’s parliamentary caucus and to announce 36 portfolio committee leaders/appointments, which excluded Ndhlela.
He confirmed a letter which bore his electronic signature and which was dismissed by Ndhlela as fake, was authentic.
“Let me confirm the letter [dated June 23] came from my office. It was on the strength of that letter that Ndhlela was removed. My PA showed me proof that the letter was sent to him on the same day. Yet he continued to claim he didn’t receive it. The bottom line is: the letter was sent before I shared it with [Zuma].”
Hlophe added that there was no petition to oust Makhubele as chief whip.
“It is nonsense. There is no such petition. I asked ubaba [Zuma] and he confirmed there is no such letter. Makhubele remains chief whip and is effective. I’m not undermining those who came before her, but she is the sort of whip we need to take the party forward.”
Dismissing claims that the party is in crisis because of Ndhlela’s dismal, Hlophe said: “The party is not falling apart. In the caucus there are people who want to push their own agendas and you know that by now.”
The so-called “December 16 faction” in parliament has accused Makhubele of making unilateral decisions and dividing the caucus. Responding to the criticism, Makhubele said ideological differences were to be expected in a new political party.
“[The] MK Party is one year old and everybody who is in MK Party, including myself, come from various parties. Whether there are those that joined [on] December 16 [when] the party started [in] 2023 or those like us who joined post elections, all of us come from parties that had different postures on many issues pertaining to ideology or policies,” she said, adding they all decided to rally behind the MK Party despite their initial stances.
Makhubele remained mum on Ndhlela disrespecting her leadership.
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