Latest news with #JohnHlophe
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
MK Party DP John Hlophe confirms he fired Ndhlela, asserts confidence in Chief Whip Makhubele
MKP Parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe stated the party is not falling apart, as has been claimed by the media. 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.'
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
MK Party denies infighting, reaffirms confidence in Chief Whip Makhubele
MKP Parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe stated the party is not falling apart, as has been claimed by the media. Image: File The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has strongly denied allegations of internal infighting and 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 reports suggesting 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 some individuals 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 ✕ On the matter of a deputy whip, Nhlamulo 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.' Chief Whip Colleen 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.'
The Citizen
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
uMkhonto weSizwe party's politics of convenience
It is ironic that the MK party has put itself forward as an organisation that fights for issues on principle when its own internal operations are not. When the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town ruled that it makes no sense for an impeached judge to sit on a body that selects judges, it struck a blow for the good guy in South Africa. For far too long a situation has been allowed to develop where the three arms of state, the judiciary, the executive and the legislature, are constantly being put at odds with each other, not for the positive development of the country, but for selfish short-term interests of corrupt individuals and their political parties. But this time, the judiciary said no, common sense must prevail. John Hlophe, who was impeached as a judge, cannot take part in the process of selecting judges. Former president Jacob Zuma's party uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has vowed to appeal the judgment on principle and not simply to have Hlophe reinstated to the Judicial Service Commission. It is not because it benefits the country that they want this to happen, but simply that it benefits the MK to have a decision of the legislature overturned by the courts. This way, the MK, although just the thirdbiggest party in parliament, can get to 'govern through the courts', something parties of the left have always accused opposition parties to the right of the political divide, like the DA, of doing. It is ironic that the MK has put itself forward as a party that fights for issues on principle when its own internal operations are nowhere close to being based on a set of established principles that can be identified by all and sundry, especially its own members. Its recently fired secretary-general (SG), Floyd Shivambu, found out in the most painful way that where there are no defined principles, anybody can be a victim. He was fired as SG for what he thought was acceptable within the party: identifying with a disgraced fugitive. He saw nothing wrong with that but was fired for it. ALSO READ: Court finds impeached judge John Hlophe unfit to serve on JSC Truth be told though it was not for meeting pastor Shepherd Bushiri that he was fired. The MK has shown a lot of brazenness when it comes to dealing with corruption-tainted prominent individuals that it has become their political home. In the bigger scheme of things, by their own standards, a meeting with Bushiri wouldn't move their moral needle. It was simply that Shivambu had served his purpose in the party. He was parachuted in to demonstrate that the party was not a Zuma one-man-show, an ethnically defined entity based in one province, but that it had appeal to all South Africans. Sadly, the learned Shivambu fell for the ruse and centred himself in a party where he was always an unwanted outsider from day one. Shivambu probably believed that he could mould the MK into the revolutionary force that he always publicly pronounced it to be but, from the beginning, he had to contend with defending unprincipled decisions, such as wanting parliament to accept that an impeached judge was a fit and proper person. In other words, honesty and good moral judgment could be sacrificed at the convenience of the party. That judgment by the court goes to the heart of what is wrong with this country and its politics: an organisation that does not embrace democracy in its own internal operations wants to control the outcomes of a democratically elected legislature and have them overturned. The lesson for Shivambu and the MK is that good, morally-based judgments might appear expendable in achieving short-term goals, but history leans towards what is right for society. NOW READ: MK party removes Floyd Shivambu as SG
Eyewitness News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Parliament to get to work on amending Constitution following high court order barring John Hlophe from serving on JSC
CAPE TOWN - Following last week's high court ruling that a judge impeached for gross misconduct can't serve on the Judicial Service Commission, Parliament is set to get to work on amending the Constitution during this administration. Besides a submission made to the Constitutional Review Committee by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), the DA says a bill to this effect is already in the pipeline. ALSO READ: The party's justice spokesperson, Glynnis Breytenbach, said it's important to tighten the law to prevent impeached individuals from making a return in other spheres of government. The National Assembly speaker is yet to announce the next steps in filling the vacancy on the judicial service commission. The seat belongs to the MK party, which plans to appeal a ruling preventing its parliamentary leader, John Hlophe from serving on the body. CASAC wants Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee to consider amending sections 177 and 194 to specify that any person removed from judicial office or a Chapter 9 institution may not hold any other public office. Breytenbach, co-chair of the committee, said a Private Member's Bill has already been prepared and is with Parliament's legal drafters. "I think it's very important that Parliament is populated with MPs who are ethical, honest, reliable and have integrity, so the sooner we can prevent bad eggs like John Hlophe and Busisiwe Mkhwebane coming to Parliament, the better." The Western Cape High Court said in a judgment last week that the National Assembly had not acted rationally nor constitutionally when it rubberstamped the MK Party's nomination for the JSC.
Daily Maverick
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Parliament to abide by high court order preventing Hlophe from sitting on JSC
The court found that Parliament had violated the Constitution by designating Hlophe — an impeached judge who had fallen foul of his oath of office — to serve on the JSC. Parliament will abide by a high court order setting aside its decision to designate impeached former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the Western Cape Division of the High Court had ruled on Monday that the decision by Parliament had been 'unconstitutional, invalid and was therefore reviewed and set aside'. The party to which Hlophe belongs, former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), was also in the spotlight this week when it announced that its secretary-general, Floyd Shivambu, had been demoted and would be sent back to Parliament as an ordinary MP. Musical chairs There he will sit in the opposition benches alongside Hlophe, who is the party's deputy president. In the same opposition catchment in the National Assembly will be EFF leader Julius Malema, Shivambu's former comrade whom he betrayed to join MK. Hlophe has announced that he will appeal against the order. MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party was 'determined to expose the fundamental injustices embedded in the current Constitution and will therefore appeal this shocking judgment in an effort to educate the public about the urgent need for parliamentary sovereignty blended with indigenous African law based on ubuntu, collective ownership of economic resources and the will of the people where the law can no longer be manipulated to justify hatred for certain targeted individuals.' Interpretive guidance Court applications were brought by the Democratic Alliance, Freedom Under Law and Corruption Watch after the National Assembly on 9 July 2024 designated Hlophe to serve as one of its representatives on the JSC in terms of section 178 of the Constitution. This week, Parliament noted 'the interpretative guidance offered by the court' which offered its concern about 'the rationality of designating a member who was previously found guilty of gross misconduct and removed from judicial office, and who has continued to demonstrate conduct incompatible with Parliament's obligation to protect and ensure the independence and integrity of the judiciary'. Mothapo said as the judgment bore implications for Parliament's internal arrangements, procedures and processes relating to the designation of representatives to the JSC and other constitutional bodies, it would 'take all necessary steps to ensure alignment with the court's findings'. This included instituting 'the appropriate processes to ensure that future designations comply with the constitutional principles outlined in the judgment'. The court ordered Hlophe and MK to pay the costs of the application. Parliament violated Constitution It found that Parliament had violated the Constitution by designating Hlophe — an impeached judge who had fallen foul of his oath of office — to a seat on the JSC. This would have compromised and undermined the integrity and legitimacy of the JSC and any process in which Hlophe might be involved in the appointment of future judges, the full bench set out in a concurring judgment. 'The National Assembly did not consider the relevant fact that Dr Hlophe had been impeached for gross misconduct. Instead, it relied on irrelevant considerations, such as established parliamentary practices and conventions, which cannot override constitutional requirements,' read the order. DM
