Members of the MK Party’s supposed highest decision-making structure learnt during a media briefing this week that the National High Command (NHC) has long ceased to exist.
The revelation has triggered fresh internal turmoil, with some members questioning who has been making decisions on behalf of the party since the structure last met in March last year.
An internal MK Party WhatsApp message, seen by Sunday World, says the NHC last sat on March 27, 2025 and “none of the resolutions of the national officials since then have been supported or even ratified by the NHC”.
The message was posted after party secretary-general (SG) Sibonelo Nomvalo addressed the media on Thursday, saying the NHC was “ill-considered”, adding that a new national executive committee would be in place before the end of the month.
“Today we listen to our SG tell the nation that the NHC was ill-considered after he has been our SG for three months and hasn’t given himself the time to engage the NHC or even receive any report from the NHC,” reads the message.
The complaint suggests that members of the |NHC were surprised by the public confirmation that the structure had been dissolved.
It also raises questions about whether the party’s national officials acted within the MK Party constitution when they continued to make decisions after the NHC last sat.
“Seemingly, the current officials are misleading the president and exploiting his vulnerabilities to continue to have no regard for due process”, the message reads.
“What is even more concerning is the fact that the national officials continue to make decisions for the party outside the constitutional legal parameters. Which document of the MKP speaks about the NEC which has been adopted by the National High Command?”
The MK Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has been undergoing another restructuring process as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.
The latest complaint shows that the restructuring has opened a dispute over authority, accountability and the legality of decisions taken by national officials. The dispute turns on whether the NHC was formally dissolved, its members were informed and a new structure had been validly adopted in its place.
“The national officials are putting the organisation into disrepute. Who will defend the constitution of the organisation when they themselves break it at will with no consequences?” the message reads.
“The national officials clearly have no regard for the NHC and the constitution. Our silence means we are complicit in this soft coup.”
The allegations come as the party also faces questions over its internal disciplinary machinery. Sunday World understands that disciplinary proceedings involving former party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela and MP Mmabatho Mokause have raised further questions about who has the authority to prosecute internal cases and whether a properly constituted national disciplinary committee exists.
Nomvalo defended the party’s handling of the NHC, saying the two-year-old party was testing different political and organisational models.
“We are a two-year-old party, so our approach is not stagnant,” Nomvalo said. “We test different political modalities in terms of organisational reforms and political strategic interventions.”
He said the party had introduced the NHC when it was being formed but later concluded that the decision might have been premature.
“The party then takes a decision to say maybe it prematurely took a decision of having a national high command because, in its conclusion, it has not yielded the desired outcome.”
Nomvalo said the structure had failed to function as envisaged and had “limited its operations to the national officials”.
“That is why, from time to time, the national officials convene,” he said.
He said the current arrangement was not the party’s final organisational model.
“That is not the final destination for the party. That is not the final political destination in terms of our internal structural reforms,” he said.
Nomvalo said the party would announce a new national executive committee before the end of June.
He said the party had also been debating the absence of a national working committee.
“Now the question is: Who does the day-to-day work of the organisation in the absence of the national working committee?” he asked.
- Members of the MK Party's top decision-making body were informed during a recent media briefing.
- They learned that the National High Command (NHC) of the party has long ceased to exist.
- The announcement was unexpected for members who believed the NHC was still operational.
- The briefing revealed significant changes in the party’s leadership structure.
- Full details of the story are available in the Sunday World e-edition.
An internal MK Party WhatsApp message, seen by
“Today we to our SG tell the nation that the NHC was ill-considered after he has been our SG for three months and hasn’t given himself the time to engage the NHC or even receive any report from the NHC,” reads the message.
It also raises questions about whether the party’s national officials acted within the MK Party constitution when they continued to make decisions after the NHC last sat.
“
“What is even more concerning is the fact that the national officials continue to make decisions for the party outside the constitutional legal parameters. Which document of the MKP speaks about the NEC which has been adopted by the National High
“
“
Nomvalo defended the party’s handling of the NHC, saying the two-year-old party was testing different political and organisational models.
“We are a two-year-old party, so our approach is not stagnant,” Nomvalo said. “We test different political modalities in terms of organisational reforms and political strategic interventions.”
He said the party had introduced the NHC when it was being formed but later concluded that the decision might have been premature.
“
Nomvalo said the structure had failed to function as envisaged and had “limited its operations to the national officials”.
“
He said the current arrangement was not the party’s final organisational model.
“
Nomvalo said the party would announce a new national executive committee before the end of June.
He said the party had also been debating the absence of a national working committee.
“Now the question is: Who does the day-to-day work of the organisation in the absence of the national working committee?” he asked.
