MK party leader Jacob Zuma (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has denied that it has a policy of compelling its MPs to donate R10 000 of their salary to the private bank account of its leader, Jacob Zuma.
Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said on Wednesday that instead, some members contributed in their personal capacity and, as a gesture of goodwill, bought cattle for Zuma.
Ndhlela’s comments came after 10 axed MK party members approached the Johannesburg high court seeking an order to block the party’s and Zuma’s bank accounts.
In an affidavit, they claimed that party MPs were encouraged to donate R10 000 of their R102 000 monthly National Assembly salary to Zuma’s personal Capitec bank account as a sign of loyalty and on the basis that he would use the funds to run the party democratically in a manner consistent with its interim constitution.
“Does it make mathematical sense that every single member of parliament must pay R10 000? These are people who have lost two cases already, they are clutching at straws, and they are desperate,” Ndhlela said.
“What I can confirm is that there are members of parliament who decided of their own free will and showed in the form of a gesture to say thank you and bought cows for president Zuma. It’s not all members but certain members of parliament.”
Zuma did not expect this and was surprised by the gesture, Ndhlela added.
According to the affidavit, “The funds paid to the MK party by members of the public, including ourselves, to the MK party bank accounts, and Mr Zuma’s personal bank account, have been used in a manner inconsistent with the purposes that the public, and ourselves, were informed before payments were made.”
The 10 former party members had their case to halt their removal from parliament dismissed by the Western Cape high court in September.
The group, who were among 18 MPs fired by the party, had argued that their sudden removal, just a month after they were sworn in, was unlawful and aimed at making way for replacements, including former Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Floyd Shivambu.
On Wednesday, Ndhlela said Zuma had never asked anyone for anything, nor had the party said people must deposit money into his account.
“There’s a difference between president Zuma’s account and the party’s account. Any or most political parties have a policy where their members will contribute every month to the party account, not the president’s account,” he said.
Ndhlela said he was not at liberty to discuss how much members are expected to contribute financially to the party, saying the secretary general’s office made a determination on this.
“What I can tell you is that it was an amount which was agreed between the officials of the party and members of parliament. It is not a contentious issue, we have all been contributing with smiles on our faces,” he said.
Asked whether the party would legally challenge the allegations by the disgruntled former members, he said it was tired of going to court for “silly things” but because it had now been put into a position where it had to respond, “naturally we have no choice but to respond legally”.
“We also don’t understand what these people are asking for because those people have been expelled from the party,” he said.
“They were in parliament at the back of an MK party ticket. I can’t today, if I’m not happy with MK, no longer in parliament and I have been contributing for one year whatever X amount and then when I’m out, I say I want the money back that I contributed to the party. Which organisation even facilitated for you to even earn that money in the first place, so actually it’s the organisation’s money.”
Meanwhile, MK party secretary general Sifiso Maseko has resigned from his position to return to his job at the Gauteng department of health after it lifted his suspension.
In a letter dated 29 October to the national office bearers of the party, Maseko said he had decided to step down as secretary general with effect from 4 November because his employment condition dictated that he return to the Gauteng health department.
“I remain a member of the MKP and commit to serving in any capacity deemed necessary by the party, including retaining my role as a member of the national high command,” the letter read.
Ndhlela confirmed Maseko’s resignation, saying the party would communicate at a later stage who would take over the position of secretary general