The former leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), Jabulani Khumalo, has launched a new court bid to reclaim the party from former president Jacob Zuma and his supporters.
In fresh papers filed with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, Khumalo wants the matter to be heard on an urgent basis, and if Zuma intends to oppose his application, he must file his responding papers by August 22.
Khumalo wants the court to hear the matter on August 28, and he cited Zuma, the MK Party and others as respondents.
Khumalo wants to lead MK Party
In the main, Khumalo wants the apex court to reinstate him as the leader of the party on the basis that the letter dated April 9, 2024, where he ceded the presidency of the party to Zuma, was fraudulent.
“The annulment of the fraudulent resignation of the first applicant [Khumalo] and secondment of the fourth respondent [Zuma] as the leader and president of the third respondent dated 09 April 2024.
“To declare the fraudulent resignation of the first applicant and the secondment of the fourth respondent as a leader and president of the third respondent dated 09 April 2024 unlawful and invalid.
“To declare the expulsion of the first applicant from the third respondent by the third and fourth respondents dated 25 April 2024 invalid and unlawful,” Khumalo said in the court papers seen by Sunday World.
Involvement with ANC leaders
He also wants the court to direct the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to allow him to run the party and make all decisions as its rightful leader.
He also wants Nhlakanipho Khumalo to be reinstated as the secretary-general of the MK Party and Bhekizenzo Manzini as the party’s treasurer-general, and the court should direct the IEC to recognise them as such.
In April 2024, the MK Party expelled Khumalo due to allegations of his clandestine involvement with some ANC leaders.
Since then, he has mounted several court battles to reclaim the party and its presidency, and all of them have ended up in crushing defeats.
