Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has resumed its regular practices, implementing fresh leadership changes once again.
The new changes saw Colleen Makhubele once again being relieved of her duties as the party’s parliamentary chief whip.
Brian Molefe, who previously held multiple top jobs in the public sector as the CEO of Eskom, Transnet, and the Public Investment Corporation, has emerged as the party’s treasurer-general.
In a statement released on Monday, the MKP announced a sweeping set of organisational and parliamentary caucus changes that reopened old wounds in a party barely two years old and already synonymous with turbulence.
The announcement follows months of factional tension, leadership reversals, and public power struggles that have repeatedly tested the party’s credibility.
National spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the latest decisions were taken “in the best interests of strengthening the movement and advancing its political mandate”, insisting that the party remained focused on consolidation rather than chaos.
Makhubele relieved of her duties
Central to the shake-up is the removal of Mpiyakhe Limba as treasurer-general, a move Ndhlela said followed a decision by Zuma and the party’s national officials.
“The party has resolved to relieve comrade Mpiyakhe Limba of his duties as treasurer-general with immediate effect,” Ndhlela said.
He added that the party “extends its sincere gratitude to comrade Limba for his service and contribution to the organisation”.
Limba has been replaced by Molefe, an appointment that is expected to draw mixed reactions due to Molefe’s controversial public profile.
Defending the decision, Ndhlela said Molefe “brings with him extensive experience in public administration, governance, finance, and organisational leadership” and has “a proven track record, strategic capability, and a deep understanding of complex financial systems”.
However, it is the parliamentary caucus changes that have reignited memories of last year’s bruising chief whip saga.
The MKP confirmed that Makhubele has been relieved of her duties as the chief whip with immediate effect, although she remains a member of parliament.
“The MK Party has decided to relieve comrade Colleen Makhubele of her duties as chief whip with immediate effect, while she remains a member of parliament,” Ndhlela said, thanking her for her contribution to caucus work.
Party remains anchored to principle
He added that Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi has been appointed in a caretaker capacity “to ensure administrative continuity and preside over internal governance within caucus”.
The decision inevitably revives memories of last year’s dramatic reversal, when Makhubele was briefly removed and then reinstated following internal backlash and direct intervention by Zuma, an episode that laid bare deep fissures within the party’s parliamentary leadership.
The MKP also announced the lifting of Vanessa Calvert’s suspension and her immediate reinstatement as chief of staff in parliament. “This decision takes effect immediately,” Ndhlela said.
Despite growing perceptions of instability, Ndhlela maintained that the party remains anchored to principle.
“The uMkhonto weSizwe Party remains committed to organisational discipline, collective leadership, and the strengthening of its structures,” he said, as the grinding axe of the MKP politics once again slices into public view.
