Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) will not discipline the ‘rebelling’ six members of KwaZulu-Natal Legislature who voted against the Division of Revenue Bill because they did the ‘right thing’

This was confirmed by the party’s provincial leader Willies Mchunu on Saturday. He said there was no plan to act against the six MPLs for their action which the party does not deem wrong. He stated that when you look at the national leadership position on the Bill which rejected it, the six members do not seem to be in the wrong.

Mchunu further stated that there was no communication between the provincial leadership and the caucus before voting therefore the party will not act against anyone, adding that he has directed the caucus to discuss the matter and find each other.

“We will not act against anyone in this matter and we have directed our caucus to sort it out themselves in the legislature. I think there was a misunderstanding,” said Mchunu.

In an unprecedented move last week, six party MPLs broke ranks with the caucus and voted against the bill while 31 other members supported during the chamber sitting, prompting calls for action against the ‘rebelling’ MPLs, however, the members defended their decision. The member who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday denied going against the party’s position, saying it was him and other five members who kept the long-standing position and voted against the Bill. 

He stated that firstly, the new chief whip Bonginkosi Mngadi never called a caucus meeting before voting and there was no new instruction for members to vote in a particular way. He said in the absence of an instruction, the six of them followed a long-standing position that the MKP will never support anything that comes from the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) since the party believes the elections were rigged.

Furthermore, the member said to prove that they were not wrong, the party has not charged them after explaining their side to the provincial leadership under convener Willies Mchunu.

The member further said that in their engagement with Mchunu it “became clear that it was an oversight from those who supported the Bill”.

However, the party chief whip Bonginkosi Mngadi disputed the member’s version that there was no meeting or mandate to support the Bill. He stated that he called a caucus meeting where he informed the members of the position and even articulated the position when he spoke for the party before voting for the Bill.

“I am chief whip of the party in the legislature and spoke in the chamber that the party will support the Bill since it was talking about transparency and accountability so I was speaking on behalf of the party,” said Mngadi.

He said he would not want to discuss the matter further since it was reported to the provincial leadership.

There was also confusion when the same Bill was voted in parliament on Wednesday where the MKP chief whip Colleen Makhubekele voted yes for the bill only to change her vote later, arguing that she thought the vote was about the Ad hoc committee on allegations of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s interference in police operations which we were reported by KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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