UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader in Mpumalanga Mary Phadi, who was expelled in November, has won her case against the party.
Phadi, who is a renowned businesswoman and president of the Truckers Association of South Africa, was fired for alleged mismanagement of funds and hatching an assassination plot against her rival in the party.
WHY DID ZUMA FIRE MARY PHADI FROM THE MK PARTY?
As previously reported, the MK Party said Phadi was asked to resign voluntarily from the Mpumalanga legislature. However, she did not heed the call, prompting party leader Jacob Zuma and the party’s national high command to decide to revoke her membership with immediate effect. Consequently, her affiliation with the MK Party has also been terminated.
The party said the decision to terminate Phadi’s membership followed thorough deliberations and allegations against her, including misappropriating funds, bringing the organisation into disrepute and non-compliance with party leadership’s request.
“Due to the gravity of the allegations coupled with Phadi’s inadequate responses, the leadership has made an irrevocable final decision to terminate her membership.
“The speaker of the Mpumalanga provincial legislature has been informed, and all letters terminating her membership by the president and national high command have been sent to Mpumalanga provincial legislature,” the party said in a statement.
EXPELLED MPUMALANGA CONVENOR REINSTATED
Speaking to journalists outside the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela, Phadi said the MK Party’s internal processes were not followed when she was fired. As a result, she has been reinstated as the convenor in the province. Additionally, Phadi said she has been reinstated as a member of the Mpumalanga legislature and party leader in the legislature.
Phadi said Zuma appointed her to all three positions she held before expulsion.
“We will be engaging with the president to say that the common ground and understanding is that we are not fighting uMkhonto weSizwe, we are requesting that we must go to 2026 [local elections] with Nxamalala [Jacob Zuma], we love our Nxamalala, and we want to go to 2026 with him. That’s why we’re saying these people from the EFF must not come and take over what we have worked for,” she added.
Former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane who ditched the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) early in October was appointed the MK Party’s convenor in Mpumalanga the same month.
What could Phadi’s reinstatement mean for Mkhwebane?
NOW THAT MARY PHADI HAS WON HER CASE AGAINST THE MK PARTY, DO YOU THINK BUSISIWE MKHWEBANE MIGHT FIND HERSELF JOBLESS?
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