MK Party suspends KZN members linked to 'unlawful' candidate registration for by-elections

The MK Party has suspended members allegedly involved in the “unlawful” registration of a candidate for by-elections in Msunduzi municipality’s ward 2 in Sweetwaters, KwaZulu-Natal, last month.

Cebisile Zuma, Sthabiso Nkabinde and Kwazi Mbanjwa, who were suspended last week on a separate charge, are accused of registering the wrong candidate.

MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the registered candidate was also suspended for “maliciously and unlawfully accepting the nomination” despite losing the internal elections.

He said they will be subjected to an internal disciplinary process.

“The national disciplinary committee will proceed with the disciplinary inquiry against the implicated members and will announce the decisions of the inquiry within the required time,” he said.

Ndhlela said the party will not tolerate lawlessness.

“MK Party would like to send a clear and unequivocal message that it is not an organisation of anarchy and lawlessness. No member of the organisation is and will be permitted to act outside the prescriptions of the constitution, the collective mandate and discipline.

“We call on all leaders and members of the MK Party to fully respect the internal processes of our movement.”

uMgungundlovu IEC district manager Khulekani Mdadane said he was aware of infighting in the MK Party over two candidates proposed by the community and party leadership in a bid to replace Sibusiso Babashani Ntuli, the IFP councillor who was expelled from the ward in October. 

Community members nominated party member Nkosikhona Mshengu as their preferred candidate. However, the party’s provincial leadership submitted Sthabiso Nkabinde's name to the IEC as its candidate.

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