All Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party members and aspirant members must contend with outright termination of membership should they find themselves on the wrong side of the organisation’s code of conduct.
This is because the MKP constitution, where the code of conduct is spelt out, does not provide for suspension at all.
Ultimately, this makes MKP the most intolerant political formation against any form of ill-discipline or rogue behaviour.
The word “suspension” is not mentioned even once in the party’s constitution.
Any member who veers off the party’s military-like values and principles will find themselves on the street at the first sight of being processed for their transgressions.
This will come as a cultural shock to many political activists who will be joining MKP from other formations, such as the ANC, where the majority of the members of the new party come from.
This is because the rogue members of the ANC can be suspended for a certain period, and they can come back once such a period has expired.
But the MKP does not work like that; you go rogue, your membership is cancelled right away.
The tough disciplinary values of the fastest-growing political party in the country are also coupled by a two-year probation for all who join as members.
24 months’ probation
This is apparently meant to sift through those that join for good intentions against those joining for self-enrichment or those planted for purposes of infiltration.
“Violation of this code of conduct will be dealt with decisively and in light of the commitment to discipline as a weapon for revolutionary progress,” reads the MKP constitution.
“All members who join MKP will be placed on 24 months’ probation after joining, meaning that their membership may be summarily cancelled collectively by the national officials at any point during the probation period.
“The cancellation of membership will be done against members whom the national officials believe have violated the organisational principles, policies, and prescripts or are not aligned to the strategic objectives of the organisation.”
The power to cancel membership is wholly placed in the two most powerful structures within MKP, namely the national officials and the national high command.
Provinces and regions will have no such power against members within their jurisdiction, none whatsoever.
Not only ill-discipline leads to cancellation of membership in the MKP, but “ideological, political and organisational reasons” in the eyes of the national officials and high command will get one booted out.
