MK party deputy president John Hlophe is said to have told his chief whip Mzwanele Manyi Mzwanele that he cannot be trusted, during a heated meeting attended by party leader Jacob Zuma this week.
The three party leaders met after Manyi apparently duped Hlophe into delivering an “embarrassing hagiography” of Zuma on Tuesday when MPs debated the state of the nation address (Sona).
Sources in the party told the Sunday Times yesterday that Hlophe was “fuming” when he confronted Manyi.
The insiders indicated that Zuma also expressed unhappiness about the speech, in which Hlophe hailed Zuma as having been the best president since 1994.
The sources said Zuma told Manyi that it had not been necessary to mention him or his record in the speech.
Manyi apparently handed the speech to Hlophe on Tuesday morning, assuring him that it had been authorised by Zuma.
But the former president said at the meeting he knew nothing about it, prompting Hlophe to accuse Manyi of “sabotage”.
“You could see during [Hlophe’s] presentation of the speech that he was not comfortable at all,” said one insider. “He feels this is a great sabotage and he has expressed that much to Manyi. He questioned his trustworthiness.”
In a separate high-level personality clash within the MK party, Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, attacked secretary-general Floyd Shivambu on social media.
She has since apologised. Insiders said Zuma had given his daughter a stern warning not to divide the party.
The sources said Zuma-Sambudla was citing alleged failures by the high-profile EFF defector in his management of party structures to try to have him ousted.
The Sunday Times understands that she has the backing of many party leaders, including some within the top nine. The insiders said national chair Nathi Nhleko and Hlophe were among those who are not happy with Shivambu.
He has really stepped on a lot of toes because of his arrogance. The party needs deep cleansing
— Party insider
A meeting planned for this week is expected to hear accusations that Shivambu has failed to connect with branches.
Sources with knowledge of the party’s structures said Shivambu had alienated party leaders by ignoring their strategy plans.
“Many people are not satisfied with Floyd,” one source said.
“The problem started late last year when he was appointed as national organiser. We had a strategic committee ... We did all the documents of the party and we were supposed to hand them over to the national executive committee. Floyd simply snubbed us,” the source said.
“Some of these people are provincial leaders, so how do you snub such a committee of people who have done work? He has really stepped on a lot of toes because of his arrogance. The party needs deep cleansing.”
But the insiders said Zuma was in a tight spot when dealing with the campaign to dump Shivambu because he attracted support across the country and was integral to the MK party’s strategy.
One party leader said another reason for Shivambu’s lack of popularity among some was the decision to centralise party finances.
This source said one of the party’s former treasurer-generals, Thanti Mthanti, had identified “certain irregularities” in the books.
“A decision was made to centralise the funds so that there is more accountability,” the source said.
“Unfortunately, this rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way because it would seem they were benefiting from the irregularities.
“Now Floyd is being victimised for that and there are others who don’t understand what is going on. The big problem is money ...[but] I don’t think Floyd is eating money from the party.”
TimesLIVE Premium previously reported Shivambu was facing criticism about lack of engagement from the branches.
According to insiders, several leaders have raised this issue with Zuma and complained about the parachuting in of former EFF leaders such as Shivambu at the expense of those who had supported the party since its establishment just over a year ago.
“Zuma knows that removing Floyd now would be detrimental for the party's image,” one source said.
“Whatever was planned around Floyd will unravel because he has a strong image. The problem [for those who want to oust him] is his national appeal. None of us have that, even Hlophe. Zuma knows removing Floyd would not be a politically astute decision.”
But the source said Zuma-Sambudla’s hostility to Shivambu complicated matters.
“It was safer with the others who were not popular and many of them left because of the daughter. But unfortunately, the old man defers a lot to the daughter, this is why this one is tough for him.”
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