After a WhatsApp altercation, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane demoted four members of the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), sparking outrage.
Skhwanemi Nkuna, Treasure Thabede, Pro Khoza, and Mike Ngobeni were stripped of their positions in the party last week.
Mkhwebane accused them of defiance in a letter dated January 3 for leaving a provincial leadership group.
She further claimed that they discredited her authority as convenor of Mpumalanga and made baseless accusations.
However, MKP provincial convener Mary Phadi has threatened to take legal action against her, claiming that Mkhwebane violated a court order.
Threat to apply for contempt of court
A decision by the Mbombela High Court in December 2024 restored Phadi as the MKP’s official convenor in Mpumalanga.
According to Phadi’s attorneys, Mkhwebane is not authorised to demote members or claim to be the provincial convenor.
“We put it on record that there is no pending appeal in this matter,” the legal team wrote.
If Mkhwebane persists in disobeying the decision, Phadi has threatened to bring contempt of court charges against her.
Mkhwebane was cautioned in the letter to cease “misleading” members about her role within the provincial hierarchy.
“Failure to desist will result in an application for contempt of court,” wrote the attorneys.
Mkhwebane stated in her letter dated January 3 that she was removing the duties assigned to the four commanders.
Attempts to discredit legitimate leadership
Citing a December meeting in Mkhondo, Mkhwebane claimed that Khoza had stated his intention to step down.
She asserted that Ngobeni had spread false information about her and called for a crisis meeting.
The lawyers for Phadi rejected these claims as part of Mkhwebane’s attempts to discredit the party’s legitimate leadership.
The leadership dispute has exposed internal conflicts and deepened divisions within the provincial structures of the MKP.
Mkhwebane did not respond to media questions sent to her via WhatsApp. MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela was not immediately available for comment.
For the time being, the WhatsApp controversy continues to represent the widening rifts within MKP in Mpumalanga.
