MK Party DP John Hlophe confirms he fired Ndhlela, asserts confidence in Chief Whip Makhubele
Image: File
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has confirmed that Colleen Makhubele remains firmly in her position as Chief Whip, despite purported suggestions of a petition calling for her removal.
At a press briefing held in Parliament on Thursday, MKP parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe said a letter had been sent to party president Jacob Zuma to oust Makhubele were entirely false.
'There is no letter, there is no petition, in terms of which MPs are calling for the head of the Chief Whip. This is a figment of someone's imagination,' said Hlophe.
'Quite frankly, I would have been the first person to receive that petition. I asked President Zuma as late as last night. There is no such letter. Comrade Colleen Makhubele remains the Chief Whip. She is very good. She is very effective.'
The party said recent internal changes, including the removal of spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela from its whippery, were strategic and administrative, not evidence of factionalism.
Hlophe explained that the MKP is reorienting itself towards legislative impact and preparing constitutional amendments, including a proposed revision of Section 235 of the Constitution, which relates to self-determination.
'We don't believe South Africa belongs to just anyone who lives here,' Hlophe said.
'You must be a citizen of this country before you can say, 'I am a South African.' You can't visit here for two weeks and say, 'I love Constantia, I live here now, I must benefit'. We are bringing serious amendments to the Constitution, and that means realignment of internal parliamentary functions.'
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad loading
On the matter of the former deputy whip, Ndhlela, who contested his removal, Hlophe confirmed that a termination letter had been sent and received.
'Initially, he said he hadn't received the letter. When it became clear that he had, he changed the story and said the signature on the letter was forged. I can confirm that the letter came from my office.'
Makhubele said the rumours had caused unnecessary disruption and she expressed disappointment at how the matter played out publicly.
'As a new Chief Whip, it's only been a month, it's been a very stormy time,' said Makhubele.
'I must say it has also been productive, and I appreciate the full cooperation of all MKP caucus members. I want to thank President Zuma and the leadership for entrusting me with this responsibility.'
Responding to the rumoured petition against her, Makhubele said, 'There is no such letter. I haven't seen it. The caucus hasn't seen it. We're coming from a caucus meeting, and we're all shocked. It has dented our image, and we want to ensure this never happens again.'
She emphasised that the MKP caucus is made up of members from diverse political backgrounds but unified under one constitutional vision.
'All of us, whether we came from COPE, ACDP, the DA or the Patriotic Alliance, have aligned ourselves with the MK Party constitution and the people's mandate,' she said.
Hlophe added that the restructuring of the party's parliamentary leadership, including the removal of a dedicated whip for communications, was part of a broader shift to prioritise legislative and constitutional work.
'We don't want to be just an opposition party,' he said. 'We regard ourselves as a government in waiting. That means realigning how we work in Parliament so that we're not only active, but effective.'
The party also introduced its new portfolio leaders, described as equivalent to shadow ministers, who will lead on key areas such as public service, land reform, and economic transformation.
Makhubele said the MKP's legislative priorities will include land expropriation without compensation, decolonisation of the economy, and constitutional recognition of traditional leaders.
'This is why we are aligning our whippery to our strategic vision. The whip on legislation is critical for us. When we come into power, there are specific laws we want to govern with, and we must already be preparing the ground for that,' she said.
She also committed to stronger constituency work and deeper public engagement: 'We want our presence in committees and Parliament to have an impact. We are going to mobilise our grassroots and sharpen our focus to deal with the failures of the so-called Government of National Unity.'
Hlophe concluded by urging the public and media to distinguish between internal party administration and deliberate misinformation.
'These are operational changes, not a caucus crisis,' he said. 'The Chief Whip is not going anywhere.'
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
35 minutes ago
- The South African
Gayton praises son's success: 'You grew up seeing me in jail'
Gayton McKenzie has heaped praise on his eldest son, Calvin Le John, who recently purchased SuperSport United, which he will rename Siwelele FC. The Minister of Sport has spoken about having eight children – from six women – including the advocate who helped him during his army robbery prison sentence. In an emotional Facebook post, Gayton McKenzie praised his eldest son, Calvin Le John, for his successful acquisition of SuperSport United. The 51-year-old shared how Calvin was born mere hours after he was convicted of armed robbery in 1996. He posted of his son: 'You grew up seeing me through jail bars. You never visited me on the weekends of the home games of Siwelele because you and your grandpa would go and watch the games religiously just like me and him when I was young. Gayton McKenzie has praised his son Calvin Le John for purchasing SuperSport United. Calvin plans to rename the club Siwelele FC. Images via X 'I remember you told me that it brings you closer to me emotionally. Knowing that you're doing the same thing I did with my father and your grandfather. Despite not having his father around, Gayton claims that Calvin Le John – who changed his last name – was a 'good kid with good intentions'. He continued: 'You suffered not growing up without your Dad. I thank God for a powerful mother who stood in the gap. You are the main reason why I behaved better. Because I wanted to come out and didn't wanna see you grow up through jail bars forever. After Gayton was freed and established his political party, the Patriotic Alliance, Calvin stepped up to take control of the family businesses. He has been at the helm, ever since. Of his decision to purchase the club, which they hope to bring to Bloemfontein, Gayton added: 'I agree fully with your purchase of SuperSport [United]. Because we both stood at the deathbed of my father and your grandad and we promised that we will always look after Siwelele. 'Siwelele is not a team, it's our Heritage, our culture, and part of our soul'. Gayton McKenzie has stayed mum about the identities of the six women who birthed his eight children, one of them being Calvin Le John. However, it is public knowledge that he wed lawyer, Nicolette Joubert, in 2003. This came after Nicolette was sent to investigate Gayton and others' allegations of corruption at the Grootvlei Prison involving prison gangs, warders, and inmates. The exposé became international news, and Gayton was named one of the 'Grootvlei Four.' The couple had two daughters together. A decade later, Gayton hinted that he had wronged his wife, whom he had since divorced. He tweeted: 'I hurt my ex-wife indescribably. But a bad word about me will never be heard by strangers or our kids, sheer class always.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
‘Still room for engagement' says Parks Tau as Trump's tariff deadline looms
South Africa has been pushing to negotiate a trade deal with the US in order to prevent US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau says the US has signalled that there's 'still room for engagement' on South Africa's request for an extension of the 90-day pause on new US tariffs. This comes as US President Donald Trump said on Friday morning, 4 July, that the White House will begin notifying countries about new tariffs being imposed on them. Some tariffs, Trump said, could be even steeper than originally announced, according to a report from The New York Times. Trump imposed a 30% tariff on SA in April, as part of his global 'reciprocal' tariffs, before agreeing to suspend their application for 90 days, saying he would hammer out bilateral deals with trade partners. The 90-day pause on Trump's tariff hikes will end on 9 July. SA, and other countries around the globe, have been pushing to negotiate trade deals with the US in order to prevent Trump's sweeping tariffs. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said this week that SA has requested an extension of the 90-day pause, to enable it to revise its proposed deal in accordance with the Trump administration's new template for US trade with sub-Saharan Africa. 'In this regard, we are of the view that South Africa may need to resubmit its Framework Deal in accordance with the new template. It is thus expected that the deadline may be shifted,' said Tau in a statement on Tuesday, 1 July. 'We urge the South African industry to exercise strategic patience and not take decisions in haste and that government will continue to use every avenue to engage the US government to find [an] amicable solution to safeguard South African interests in the US market,' he added. The US's plan to introduce a new trade template with countries in sub-Saharan Africa emerged in engagements between Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Zuko Godlimpi, and the Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, Connie Hamilton, on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit in Luanda, Angola, in June. 'Very good' engagement According to Tau, Godlimpi had a 'very good' engagement with Hamilton, where there was an 'indication that there is still room for engagement'. He told Daily Maverick on Friday that he believed discussions with the US will continue beyond 9 July. 'We submitted a draft Framework Agreement and they [the US] have not responded. They indicated that they are not in a position to finalise that right now, so it is their intention that discussions would go on beyond the 9th. So at this point we are awaiting an announcement from them,' Tau said. SA initially submitted a proposed Framework Deal to the US on 20 May, a day before President Cyril Ramaphosa and Trump met at the White House in Washington, DC. The initial proposal included deals on agriculture, critical minerals, automotives and other exports. 'The Framework Deal addresses US concerns relating to, among others, non-tariff barriers, trade deficit, and commercial relations through two-way procurement or import of strategic goods. It aims to also resolve long-standing market access issues of interest to both sides and to promote bilateral investments in a mutually beneficial manner,' read the DTIC statement this week. SA is also seeking to have some of its key exports exempt from the Sections 232 duties, including autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum. It is also seeking a maximum tariff application of 10% 'as a worst case scenario', according to the DTIC. 'The Framework also seeks exemption for Small and Medium Enterprises, counter-seasonal products and products that the US does not have productive capacity for,' it said. What's at stake? The US is South Africa's second-largest trading partner after China. More than 600 American firms are operating in SA. In 2024, trade between SA and the US totalled $20.5-billion, with South African exports consisting largely of precious metals, cars and auto parts, iron and steel, and aluminium products, Daily Maverick reported. SA has benefited immensely from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which has enabled it to export a range of products and goods to the US market duty-free. But Trump's new tariff regime would upend the country's long-standing arrangement under Agoa. Professor Bob Wekesa, director of Wits University's African Centre for the Study of the United States, said he believed SA has tried its best to reach a bilateral agreement with the US. 'I don't think we should dismiss the efforts of the Government of National Unity… I think they've done their best,' he said. 'The tricky part is that Trump has refined the art of raising the bar; raising so many issues that you come kneeling before him, you come to the negotiations on the back foot.' He said that while countries such as the UK and Vietnam have both reached trade agreements with the US in recent weeks, South Africa was bound to struggle because 'it's being targeted on other fronts, which are political [and] diplomatic'. Nevertheless, Wekesa said it would be 'disastrous' for SA if Trump's tariffs were to come into effect again. 'It would mean that South African goods and services are impacted – almost a cessation of trade – particularly in critical areas like agricultural products, and specifically the citrus market, in areas of manufacturing, particularly in motor vehicles, and of course, related fields,' he said. He added that it would be a 'big hit' for SA's economy. This will have an 'immediate impact' on the budgets and resources that the government can use for service delivery, according to Wekesa. 'This will of course be on top of the cessation of funding that was coming through USAID [United States Agency for International Development],' he said. Wekesa noted that South Africa is 'not the only country' that has certain critical minerals, like platinum and hydroxide. Next week, Trump will host leaders from five African nations in Washington to discuss 'commercial opportunities', according to a Reuters report. 'These countries also have critical minerals. So the idea that [the] US will lose out on the export of those minerals [from SA], I don't think, is a very strong one… The leaders of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Mauritania, and Liberia are heading to the US. When you look at all the critical minerals from those countries they include all these minerals… One wonders if the US is actually divesting away from South Africa, or reliance on South Africa, by going to these countries to see if it can strike a deal. 'In many of these countries they don't have proper critical minerals policies or strategies – they are essentially weak countries, so the US can strike deals quite fast there,' he said. DM
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Limpopo mayor threatens construction mafia after stalled projects
Maila said the 'construction mafia' was costing the South African government and construction industry millions of rands through disruptions and extortion. Disruptions and blockages of construction sites by the so-called construction mafias cost the South African economy more than R68 billion before the Covid-19 pandemic. This was revealed by the mayor of the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality, Eddy Shebeshebe Maila, on Thursday. Maila was speaking during the handover of two service providers for an 8km road construction project in Praktiseer Township, outside the mining-rich town of Burgersfort in Limpopo. The handover was held at a glittering ceremony at Madikiloshe Malepe Sports Ground on Thursday, with more than 1 000 people waiting with anticipation to get jobs at the project. Mafia costing construction industry millions Maila said the 'construction mafia' was costing the South African government and construction industry millions of rands through disruptions and extortion. These criminal syndicates, he said, disrupt projects, demand a percentage of the contract value, and resort to violence and sabotage, hindering the delivery of South African infrastructure. 'But I can assure you, these crooks have no place to operate their business in my municipality. 'I know your modus operandi, and I am watching you like a hawk. Here is not a playground. It is either you cooperate or you go straight behind bars in jail, where you belong,' Maila told the jovial crowd that clapped hands each time he spoke. No mafias, but projects stalled According to the mayor, several projects in Limpopo have stalled due to construction mafias that have halted them, either by fair means or foul. 'We are going to appoint a project steering committee and two community liaison officers for these projects. These are the people that are going to work hand in glove with the ward councillors, the engineers and our contractors' 'Community business forums are welcome, but they must know their boundaries. Their job is not to hijack this project. 'It serves as a mediator between the business community and the municipality. They must, therefore, not interfere with the day-to-day running of this project. 'If they dare try me, they will rue the day we crossed paths,' promised Maila. ALSO READ: Suspected construction mafia extortionists arrested in Joburg CBD Gender disparity Maila also urged councillors and contractors of the project to consider gender parity when employing people. 'In South Africa, women make up just more than 10% of the construction workforce, a statistic that is mirrored in many other countries around the world. 'This disparity is often attributed to a lack of access to education and training opportunities, and a persistent cultural bias that views construction as a 'man's job',' said Maila. Maila said his municipality will monitor the recruitment processes at the project from inception and ensure local women with the necessary skills and documentation are given a stake in sub-contracting. 'They have the skills and the qualifications to show. We must not brush them aside. We must make sure they are employed on a 50/50 basis. 'The writing is on the wall; when we employ women, we feed the nation. That is why women should be taken seriously, and that is why we should allow them to take leadership positions in the workplace and in business,' Maila told the contractors. Residents speak out The Citizen spoke to a few residents at the meeting after Maila's address. 'We are happy that under his tutelage, women are taken seriously. We have been brushed aside before, and are saying enough is enough. 'We also want to play leadership roles in the construction business. Construction work has long been stereotypically associated with a male-dominated space, but now things are changing. 'We are 50/50,' resident Francinah Mohale said. Collen Nkoana said the community was ready to help the mayor fight construction mafias. 'Working hand in glove with the police, we can not go wrong. 'We are going to fight with everything we have until the last drop of our blood to make sure that this project gets up to its practical completion in a 12-month record time.' NOW READ: 'Construction mafia' are genuine guys
