Zuma shakes up MK Party leadership - Colleen Makhubele axed as chief whip

The MK Party has removed Colleen Makhubele as parliamentary chief whip with immediate effect -  but she retains her seat as a Member of Parliament (MP)

The move, announced on Monday, is part of a broader leadership restructuring ordered by President Jacob Zuma and the party’s national officials.

The changes signal a tightening of internal discipline within the MKP as it consolidated authority and prepared for an intensified role in parliament.

Makhubele’s exit as chief whip has been accompanied by the appointment of Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, the NCOP chief whip, as acting chief whip to oversee caucus governance and liaise with the Speaker’s office.

Simultaneously, the party confirmed the removal of Mpiyakhe Limba from his role as Treasurer General.

Brian Molefe has been appointed as Limba’s successor, bringing experience in public administration, finance, and organisational leadership.

The party described Molefe as possessing the strategic capacity and financial acumen necessary for a “critical responsibility at this phase of the party’s growth.”

In another move, the MKP lifted the suspension of Vanessa Calvert, reinstating her as Chief of Staff in the Parliamentary Caucus.

The party framed these decisions as measures to strengthen structures, enforce organisational discipline, and enhance collective leadership.

The party has positioned itself as a vehicle for public frustration, particularly among South Africans disappointed by decades of unfulfilled promises and ongoing economic hardships under the government of national unity (GNU).

The MKP stated that it was committed to organisational discipline, collective leadership and the strengthening of its structures.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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