Mediamec uMkhonto weSizwe Party president Jacob Zuma has dismissed Sibonelo Nomvalo as secretary-general and removed him from its National Assembly caucus, while directing parliamentary leader John Hlophe to undo a recent restructuring of the party’s whips.
The decisions were communicated in separate letters on October 22, less than two weeks before the November 4 local government elections.
Zuma instructed Hlophe to reinstate the whip structure and working arrangements that existed before the changes announced on October 13, following the required parliamentary and party processes.
That restructuring had transferred responsibility for deployments, assignments and constituency work to the Chief Whip’s office. It also removed Adil Nchabeleng as Constituency Whip and David Skosana and Pinky Mngadi as Elections Whips, and dissolved the Extended Whippery.
In his letter to Hlophe, Zuma reaffirmed his confidence in the parliamentary leader and said his authority over the party’s parliamentary work should be respected. He stressed that changes to parliamentary leadership required consultation and communication with the relevant national structures.
In the separate letter dismissing Nomvalo with immediate effect, Zuma raised concerns about councillor selection and the establishment of senior deployment committees without the knowledge of the president, national officials or the presidency collective.
He also cited delays in campaign materials, parliamentary whip changes that had not been communicated to the leadership, internal factionalism and the possibility that Nomvalo was receiving remuneration from both the National Assembly and the party.
The party said these concerns involved coordination, communication, accountability and compliance with its procedures.
Zuma requested Nomvalo’s co-operation with the handover of his duties, while acknowledging his contribution and wishing him well.
Deputy secretary-general Lindiwe Mtshali has been appointed acting secretary-general. National spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu has been assigned the deputy secretary-general’s functions alongside her.
Nomvalo took over as secretary-general in March after Bongani Mncwango was removed following roughly seven months in office. The position has changed hands several times since the party’s formation in December 2023.
His dismissal follows disputes within the party over election candidates. In September, members demonstrated outside its Durban offices, alleging that councillor lists submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa had been altered and did not match the candidates chosen in their wards.
