Jabulani Khumalo to represent MK party in Parliament despite being expelled

Expelled uMkhonto WeSizwe party (MK) leader Jabulani Khumalo has confirmed that he will be attending the first sitting of Parliament to represent the MK party.

Despite being ousted from former President Jacob Zuma’s party, Khumalo appears on the list of MK members that will be representing it in the National Assembly.

Khumalo has urged all the other 57 MK members to show up when Parliaments seventh administration convenes for the first time.

“Should any MK member of parliament not avail themselves for understandable fear of victimisation by Mr Zuma and his clique, will not in itself be basis for parliament not to continue with its business of swearing in members of parliament and continue with its scheduled business on the date chosen by the Chief Justice.

“Mr Zuma will not continue to abuse our democratic processes, the will of the people and continue to undermine our Parliament and other constitutional institutions such as our courts and not least their leader, Chief Justice,” Khumalo said.

Court challenge

Khumalo was in the Electoral Court last week to get his expulsion from the MK party declared invalid and unlawful and that he be reinstated as the organisation’s leader with immediate effect.

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

Judgement has been reserved in the matter.

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Interdicting parliament

Meanwhile Khumalo said the MK party’s attempts to interdict the first sitting of Parliament is both “misguided and embarrassing.”  

The MK party on Sunday said it has legally instructed the Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to refrain from convening the sitting of both houses of Parliament until its grievances over the results of the recent national and provincial elections are heard and ruled upon.

The MK party, led by Zuma has threatened to boycott the ceremony where MPs in the National Assembly are sworn in, accusing the African National Congress (ANC) of rigging the election results.

The MK party, which has 58 seats in the National Assembly is asking the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for a recount of the votes.

Constitutional Court

MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party’s legal representatives issued a formal demand to Zondo, George and authorities responsible for arranging the inaugural session of the National Assembly within 14 days following the election results announcement.

“We argue that unresolved objections and the veracity of the substance by MK party and other political parties who represent the will of the people, render this ‘market based’ declaration, and consequently the sitting and all its activities unconstitutional.

“Furthermore, and in defence of our people’s constitutional rights, the MK Party will file papers with the Constitutional Court to interdict the swearing in of party nominated candidates as members of the National Assembly until our grievances, which are premised on allegations of election fraud and rigging, are thoroughly addressed by the courts,” Ndhlela said.

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