The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has executed a swift internal purge by summarily expelling two of its prominent Members of Parliament, Pumlani Kubukeli and Dr Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, with immediate effect.
The decision marks a stark intensification of the party’s ongoing efforts to enforce strict organizational discipline and eliminate internal dissent under the direct oversight of its leader, former President Jacob Zuma.
According to official correspondence issued by the party leadership, the drastic measures were taken directly in the interest of the organization. The party asserted that both Kubukeli and Litchfield-Tshabalala had engaged in conduct that actively undermined organizational unity and violated party discipline, ultimately damaging the reputation, integrity, and strategic interests of the political movement.
The expulsions were formally executed by Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo and National Spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu, who cited specific presidential powers granted under Section 7 of the party’s constitution to justify the immediate terminations.
The fallout from the decision extended rapidly into the legislative sphere, as the party leadership immediately moved to strip both individuals of their parliamentary status. The organization sent formal correspondence to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, requesting the swift removal of Kubukeli and Litchfield-Tshabalala from the parliamentary asset registers and their replacement within the party’s legislative caucus.
The abrupt removals follow weeks of escalating internal friction and administrative disputes within the party’s parliamentary ranks.
Kubukeli had recently been embroiled in a public confrontation with Parliamentary Chief Whip Philasande Mkhize over administrative duties. This friction was further compounded by a highly sensitive dispute regarding a withdrawn criminal complaint over thirty three million rands in party funding, which had briefly implicated several high-ranking figures within the party leadership.
Following his dismissal, Kubukeli expressed severe frustration to independent journalists, openly questioning the constitutional validity of the Secretary-General’s authority and noting that even historic liberation figures had never attempted to sever his lifelong ties to the uMkhonto weSizwe legacy.
This double expulsion represents the latest chapter in a broader, systemic restructuring campaign within the party, which has seen the rapid rise and fall of various leadership factions. The removal of Kubukeli and Litchfield-Tshabalala mirrors the previous high-profile casualties within the movement, which has consistently sidelined prominent figures who fall out of favor with the central leadership line.
By leveraging sweeping presidential decrees to enforce compliance, the party continues to signal that absolute loyalty and adherence to the organizational hierarchy remain non-negotiable prerequisites for maintaining any position of influence within its ranks.