MK Party infighting over by-election campaign
THE uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has raised eyebrows with two campaign posters bearing the faces of two party activists for the same by-election were circulated on social media.
Some community members in Ward 2, Sweetwaters, who support the MK Party are angry that their provincial leadership has forced a by-election candidate upon them against the one they had nominated.
The Ward 2 by-elections would be held on December 18 to replace IFP activist Sbusiso Babashana Ntuli who was ousted after his party found him guilty of various offences.
According to sources, the community members held a nomination meeting facilitated by the MK Party provincial office and nominated party Nkosikhona Mshengu as their preferred candidate.
Involving community members in the process of nominating political party candidates, started when MK Party president Jacob Zuma was the leader of the ANC.
MK Party-aligned community members said to their dismay, the party’s provincial leadership forwarded Sthabiso Nkabinde's name to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) as its candidate.
In defiance of the leadership, some party activists went on to draft Mshengu’s campaign poster and circulated it.
According to Mshengu, during the community nomination for candidates, he received 157 votes, Nkabinde received 137 while another activist Mbongeni Skhakhane received 35.
“Nkabinde is the nephew of Thobani Zuma (a close associate of Jacob Zuma), and this gives the impression that the MK Party is a stokvel club for the Zuma clan,” said an activist.
“The division within the MKP is going to compromise the party, which stood a good chance to win overwhelmingly had it been united,” said the activist.
Nkabinde would be competing with IFP’s Mbengeni Shezi who is currently a proportional representation councillor at the Msunduzi Municipality.
“Political parties have started to campaign and the ANC nominated a hard-working candidate Nduduzo Zuma who is operating a youth centre in Sweetwaters and also runs community development projects in the area,” said another community member.
Mshengu has distanced himself from those who were angry against the leadership’s action.
Mshengu said for him to receive the highest votes did not mean that he was automatically the candidate for MK Party as the final decision rested with the provincial structure after the screening process.
He said he and the leadership were shocked to see campaign posters bearing his face, which he said was created without his knowledge.
“The leadership has the final decision on these matters and people can say whatever they want, it is not up to them.
“What if community members nominate me only to find that I have a criminal record? The party conducts the screening to determine if the person (nominated by the community) is fit for the job.
“I am currently busy campaigning for the party to win the by-election, and I will campaign for anyone who will receive the go-ahead from the leadership because this is not about myself, but it is about the party and the service delivery,” he said.
Nkabinde who denied having a family relationship with Thobani Zuma, the former Msunduzi deputy mayor, said the provincial leadership had already taken the decision to field him as the candidate.
He also denied that this has caused internal division.
“I knew that the leadership had decided who is the candidate when I saw the poster. When I checked with the IEC it appears that it is Nkabinde who is contesting.
“People who were going to vote for the MK Party before the community nomination meeting are still going to vote for it because there is no division as the MK Party is very strong,” said Nkabinde.
MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the creation of Mshengu’s poster was a sign of ill-discipline within the party.
“We have dealt with that as it was an issue of ill-discipline and infiltration.