UPDATE: 18 MPs to lose R1.27m salary after MK party dismissal

On yet another dramatic day for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, 18 members of parliament (MPs) will have to forfeit their R1.27 million annual salary after being fired.

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza received correspondence from MK party chief whip, Sihle Ngubane, informing her of replacements in the party’s parliamentary caucus.

Parliament reacts

Parliament on Thursday confirmed that 15 MK party MPs were removed by the party.

“Simultaneously, the speaker has received email correspondence of persons on the party’s reserve list indicating their unavailability to fill any vacancies in the National Assembly.

“The emails were submitted through the party’s chief whip in Parliament.

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“The speaker is currently considering these correspondences, and a decision will be made in due course,” Parliament spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo said in a statement on Thursday.

Section 47(3)(c) of the Constitution states that “a person loses membership of the National Assembly if that person ceases to be a member of the party that nominated that person as a member
of the assembly”.

MK party clarifies reports

However, MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela clarified that 18 party members have been removed from the National Assembly list.

Ndhlela told eNCA of the total, 12 MPs were sworn-in less than two months ago on 25 June, while the other six MK party members were not due to ill-health and other reasons.

The MK party also issued a statement on the matter, stating that the 12 MPs were notified of their replacement on the day of the swearing-in ceremony.

“They were further advised not to proceed to avail themselves for the swearing in, or if they so wished proceed with the understanding that they would be replaced at a later stage, pending the parliamentary procedures,” the statement reads.

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The Jacob Zuma-led political formation said a case has been opened at the Sandton police station as a result of their parliamentary list being “comprised by saboteurs”.

“It’s also important to note that leading up to the elections, the MK party IEC [Electoral Commission of South Africa] list was comprised by saboteurs who went on to populate on the IEC system with a list of their friends, family members and neighbours.

“The chief whip of party in the National Assembly wrote letters to the speaker, requesting that these members be replaced by other MK members.

“These letters were only processed yesterday and letters of termination were sent to individual members by the speaker of Parliament.”

MK party processes followed

The MK party further condemned the leaking of Ngubane’s letter to Parliament to social media.

“It is this ill-discipline and rogue behaviour that has led to the spurious misleading reports.

“We place it on record that all internal MK party processes were followed. All replaced members were informed of the intention to replace them as MPs representing the MK party.”

The MPs dismissals occurred just days after the party, for the second time, removed Arthur Zwane from his role as secretary-general of the MK party.