Founding member of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) Jabulani Khumalo’s court bid to be reinstated on the party’s list of members of parliament has been struck off the roll.
Just a day before the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, Khumalo launched an urgent application at the Western Cape High Court to have his name included among the members of the MK Party.
The court ordered that the matter be struck off the roll, considering that it did not meet urgency requirements. Khumalo lost the matter with costs.
This ruling comes shortly after the electoral court on Wednesday dismissed his application to be reinstated.
Drawn-out battle with Zuma
Khumalo has been engaged in a drawn-out battle with the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party’s leadership. He alleges that he was illegally removed from his position and replaced by former president Zuma.
Khumalo claimed that his resignation letter that was sent to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was not signed by him. He pointed a finger at Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, claiming that she forged the signature.
In its defence, the MK Party claimed that Khumalo was expelled because he served as a double agent. It accused him of constantly revealing the party’s plans to the opposition.
Khumalo, according to Zuma, also started boasting that he was the owner of the political party. This even though they had initially planned that while he would register it, Zuma would be the official leader.
Seeks to be recognised leader of the party
Not only did Khumalo want to be reinstated on the list of MK Party members, he also wanted to be recognised as the president of the political organisation.
In a scathing judgement on Wednesday, the Electoral Court said Khumalo’s legal arguments were frivolous and lacked substance.
“As further contended on behalf of the respondents, Mr Khumalo’s version is riddled with contradictions,” the court ruled.
