Jabulani Khumalo loses against Zuma in MK party leadership appeal

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has welcomed the dismissal of Jabulani Khumalo’s latest bid to be recognised as the party’s legitimate leader at the Electoral Court.

Khumalo’s latest setback followed several court cases challenging former president Jacob Zuma’s role as the face and leader of the MK party.

The former MK party leader sought to overturn an earlier judgment of the Electoral Court that dismissed his application against the IEC for his removal as party leader.

“Frivolous and expedient”

MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela described Khumalo’s application for leave as “frivolous and expedient”.

“In all applications, Khumalo has been ordered to pay the MK party punitive costs on an attorney and client scale. The MK party is aware that Khumalo’s nefarious campaign is funded by his handlers and the punitive costs are welcome.”

Ndhlela said the rewarded costs will make a difference to the MK party.

Without substantiating his comment, Ndhlela claimed that Khumalo was linked with the African National Congress (ANC)

“Since its formation nine months ago, the MK party has continued to deliver heavy blows to the ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa and its puppets like Khumalo, not only in the ballot box but also in the courts,” Ndhlela, whose party denies the legitimacy of the election.”

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Legal battle

The expelled MK party leaders legal battle spanned several months and has been heard in the Western Cape High Court, the Gauteng High Courts in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein. 

Zuma ousted Khumalo and other MK party leaders weeks before the national and provincial elections.

In June, the Electoral Court dismissed Khumalo’s application to be reinstated as leader of the party. It ruled his application constituted an abuse of the court’s processes, and a waste of judicial economy and the opposing respondents’ resources.

Forged signature

In his application, he claimed Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla forged his signature and sent a letter to the IEC requesting his name be replaced with Zuma.

The MK party denied the allegation and stated that Khumalo signed the letter in dispute on April 9 at a meeting in which Zuma-Sambudla and other witnesses were present.

The court dismissed Khumalo’s application with a punitive costs order, ruling the MK party and the IEC had demonstrated that Khumalo had perjured himself in his affidavits.

In September, Khumalo was dealt another legal blow after he lost his attempt in court to retain control of the MK Party’s bank account as a signatory.

ALSO READ: Electoral Court dismisses expelled Khumalo’s MK party leader bid