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Jacob Zuma, leader of MK Party. Image: @ali_naka/X

Home » MK Party ordered to remove former youth leader Khanyile from candidate list

MK Party ordered to remove former youth leader Khanyile from candidate list

Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party says it has been instructed by the IEC to remove Bonginkosi Khanyile and Visvin Reddy from its candidate list.

30-04-24 12:21
mk party violence
Jacob Zuma, leader of MK Party. Image: @ali_naka/X

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has been ordered to remove its former youth leader Bonginkosi Khanyile and Visvin Reddy from its candidate list.

This was confirmed by the Jacob Zuma-led party’s spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela on Monday, 29 April.

MK PARTY TOLD TO REMOVE BONGINKOSI KHANYILE AND VISVIN REDDY

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Ndlela said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) requested them to remove Bonginkosi Khanyile and Visvin Reddy from its candidate list. 

Ndhlela accused the IEC of having an agenda against the MK Party, saying they are being targeted. 

When asked whether Khanyile’s utterances are the main reason why he was removed as the leader of the party’s youth structure, Ndhlela could not provide a straight answer. 

“The IEC would have tell us. We’ve received the papers and are reviewing them to see why they want us to remove Bonginkosi Khanyile and Visvin Reddy,” he said. 

Before it was announced that Zuma would be on the ballot paper, Khanyile threatened that all hell would break loose if the former president was not allowed on the ballot paper.

He said they were prepared to lay down their lives for Zuma, the party’s presidential candidate, ahead of the May general elections. 

MK Party Bonginkosi Khanyile Visvin Reddy
MK Party leader Jacob Zuma and Bonginkosi Khanyile. Image: X/@Bonginkosi_BG.

On the other hand, Reddy posted a video on social media sharing the same sentiments. He said there would be anarchy if the party is blocked from contesting the upcoming general elections. 

Reddy accused the ANC of doing everything they could to stop the MK Party from contesting the elections. He insisted there would be no elections if his party was barred from being on the ballot.

Earlier in April, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) charged Reddy for inciting violence.

ZUMA-LED PARTY ACCUSED OF FORGING SIGNATURES

Meanwhile, a former MK Party member Alex Ntsodo alleged that some signatures submitted to the Electoral Commission for registration had been forged.

In an affidavit commissioned by Western Cape police, Ntsodo said a team of approximately 20 individuals was appointed in February to help in the widespread forgery of signatures.

This action was taken following the rejection of the MK party’s initial registration application by the Electoral Commission.

According to reports, the appointed team obtained jobseekers’ names, identity numbers, and cellphone numbers from the Cape Metro Council’s database, along with the personal information of members from a funeral association. 

These details were allegedly acquired fraudulently to forge signatures.