ATM replaces leader Vuyo Zungula with Chief Apostle Nongqunga of Twelve Apostles Church
ATM's leadership change: Vuyo Zungula steps down, Chief Apostle Nongqunga takes charge
Image: Supplied
In a surprising turn of events, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has announced the removal of its leader, Vuyo Zungula, amid internal shifts within the party.
Zungula, a prominent figure in South African politics, has been reportedly replaced by Professor Caesar Nongqunga, the current Chief Apostle of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ (TACC) worldwide.
Insiders who spoke to IOL stated that this move is boost the party's performance in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for 2026.
Vuyo Zungula, a lawyer by training, emerged as a key figure in South African politics when he founded the African Transformation Movement in 2018.
Known for his advocacy of social justice and economic transformation and his vocal stance on corruption, Zungula quickly gained visibility on the national stage.
His leadership style combined political activism with a grassroots empowerment focus, resonating with many marginalised communities.
Zungula's political journey has been marked by a commitment to promoting African values and traditions, within South Africa's democratic framework.
He positioned ATM as a party advocating for radical economic transformation, land reform, and the fight against systemic corruption.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Despite being a relatively new party, ATM made notable inroads in the 2019 general elections, securing several parliamentary seats and positioning itself as a voice for the underrepresented.
Nongqunga, a prominent religious leader and scholar, commands a substantial following both in South Africa and internationally.
His appointment signals a significant shift in ATM's leadership style, potentially blending political engagement with spiritual guidance.
Nongqunga is renowned for his leadership within the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ, a Pentecostal denomination with a decades-long history.
His theological background and moral authority are highly regarded among his followers, and some analysts see his transition into the political arena as a move to infuse the party with a new moral and spiritual dimension.
Zungula had not respond to IOL by the time of the time this was published.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
IOL Politics
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
7 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
Over 250 SANDF troops deployed to DRC set to arrive back on home soil
JOHANNESBURG - More than 250 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops who were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are set to arrive back on home soil on Friday afternoon. The troops are expected to land at Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein at midday. This marks the end of the SANDF's participation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC, which saw South African soldiers fight alongside Malawian and Tanzanian troops in an effort to restore peace in the eastern part of the country. In May, South Africa withdrew its troops from the DRC, having lost 14 soldiers in a battle with M23 rebels in January. The loss of lives sparked a national outcry, resulting in a public spat between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame on X. Ramaphosa's labelling of the Rwandan Defence Force as a "militia" didn't sit well with Kagame. Tensions between the countries have since subsided. In May, both leaders formed part of a presidential panel at the opening of the African CEO Forum in the Ivory Coast. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to welcome the troops upon their arrival. ALSO READ: SANDF refutes claims of troops returning from DRC surrendering weapons in Rwanda
Eyewitness News
7 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
PEPFAR withdrawal has spurred on govt to become more self-reliant
CAPE TOWN - Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the withdrawal of funding from the United States (US) to fund the country's HIV/Aids programmes has spurred on government to become more self-reliant. He said African governments need to use their own natural resources to fund their programmes and should not have to go cap in hand to anybody. Again, responding to questions in the National Assembly on Thursday on the impact of the withdrawal of President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding, Mashatile said no HIV/Aids patient would suffer as a result. READ: Godongwana lists PEPFAR withdrawal as one of several spending pressures in his budget Mashatile has reiterated that the R8 billion in lost funding for HIV/Aids programmes in 2025 won't impact the supply of anti-retroviral (ARV) medication nor the target of getting another 1.1 million people on life-saving drugs before the end of 2035. While the South African National Aids Council, which Mashatile chairs, is hoping the National Lottery comes through for it to plug the gap, Mashatile said if it does not, other options like the national fiscus are already being explored. 'I'm not saying we will abandon the US. They remain one of our biggest trading partners, but we must not go cap in hand to anyone.' Mashatile was then involved in a tense exchange with the Freedom Front (FF) Plus's Philip van Staden, who said people were suffering as a result of government 'blunders'. He wanted to know how thousands of healthcare workers who had lost their jobs due to the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding would be compensated, but he refused to clarify his comments when asked by Mashatile. 'People are suffering because of government blunders. I don't know what you are talking about. What blunders are those?' Mashatile said government is looking to the BRICS groups of countries and the African Union (AU) to collaborate in the fight against HIV and Aids.
The Citizen
9 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Amerikaners refutes claims of ‘struggling' SA 'refugees' in US
'It's not unusual for that to happen in any situation, especially in a proof of concept,' states Amerikaners. The first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement listen to remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar (both out of frame), after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, on May 12, 2025. President Donald Trump on Monday defended the decision to resettle a group of white Afrikaners in the United States as refugees, saying they were fleeing a 'terrible situation' in South Africa. Trump's remarks to reporters at the White House came just hours before an initial group of around 50 Afrikaners was set to arrive at an airport outside Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) A viral social media video claiming that South African Afrikaner families are struggling without necessities in American hotels has been dismissed as 'hearsay' by the organisation assisting the refugee programme, amid growing controversy over the authenticity of the claims. The dispute centres around a TikTok video posted by a South African-born woman living in the United States, who alleged that Afrikaner refugee families were living in dire conditions without food, money, or cellphones in hotel accommodations. @afriforum here is a chance to put monthly contributions to good use. Help your Amerikaners phela. Help #Refugees fleeing from #genocide in South Africa before they start begging on the streets…… They aren't welcome here in South Africa. — Thomas (@thisandtgat_) June 11, 2025 'Struggling refugees' viral claims challenged 'They were of the understanding that they were going to be arriving here to assistance. People thought they were going to be arriving at a house, a job, and medical insurance. It isn't that way at all,' the woman with the TikTok username, @catpmt, claimed in the now-deleted video. However, Sam Busa, founder of Amerikaners, an organisation that assists South Africans seeking refugee status in the United States, strongly disputed these allegations. Busa characterised the claims as sensationalised content designed to undermine the refugee process. She explained that administrative issues for pilot groups are always expected. According to Busa, the problems faced by the resettled Afrikaner group were resolved. ALSO READ: Trump-Musk breakup: Will 49 'refugees' return to South Africa? Video removed after backlash The TikTok user, identified by the handle @catpmt, subsequently removed the controversial video from her page. In an explanation to her followers, she acknowledged the unintended consequences of her post. 'Thank you for visiting my page. The video you have come to see has been taken down due to constant flagging by the platform for bullying. It has also caused enough damage by fanning the flames of a fire that I did not realise existed. 'My hope is to use this page to show the difficulties and challenges a person faces when moving country, but in fun and educational way. The correct people have now stepped in to make sure all parties get what they need,' she wrote. ALSO READ: Afrikaner 'refugees' continue to arrive in US on commercial flights – reports Amerikaners organisation defends refugee process Busa reiterated that temporary hotel accommodation is standard practice in refugee programmes and rejected suggestions that the US government would abandon refugees without resources. Speaking to The Citizen, Busa said those sharing the alleged struggle have always 'been very negative about the refugee programme from the word go'. Busa expressed frustration with the attention the story had received, describing it as being based on multiple levels of hearsay rather than verified facts. 'I think it's been blown up into something that need not be,' she said. 'It's all hearsay anyway. Nobody has the original source. So nobody even knows exactly what was said on a Facebook group.' Despite defending the refugees against claims of hardship, Busa acknowledged that her organisation has no direct contact with the families who travelled to the United States. 'We are not involved with the US government whatsoever, and we do not help to provide anything. We're not even connected. I don't even know who the people were that were having trouble. They won't even give their names because they don't want the media to make a big mountain out of a molehill,' she said. ALSO READ: Afrikaner 'refugees' spot a ruse 'Proof of concept' administrative challenges Busa explained that the families in question were part of a pilot programme designed to test the refugee resettlement process, making some initial challenges inevitable and expected. 'That was a pilot group, that was not the [total number of] refugees. That was the proof of concept,' she said. 'So what happened was they brought them into the country, they allocated everybody a caseworker, and it's perfectly normal that a caseworker might not have called for two days or whatever, and then there's a stumbling block somewhere. It's not unusual for that to happen in any situation, especially in a proof of concept.' The organisation's founder detailed the extensive administrative process refugees must complete upon arrival, including applying for social security numbers, obtaining employment authorisation documents, accessing medical coverage, and receiving assistance with housing and job placement. Busa added that since hundreds of thousands of people, including herself, will be migrating to the US, the refugee programmes need to ensure that 'the system works on the other side'. ALSO READ: Trump administration slams church for refusing to resettle white South Africans in America Volunteer-run information network Amerikaners operates as an informal volunteer network rather than a registered non-profit organisation, according to Busa. The group emerged after the US executive order was issued and gained popularity among South Africans seeking information about the refugee programme. 'We're just literally a bunch of people that care about our fellow South Africans, and we're just helping out where we can. We, all of us — ourselves, want to go. So obviously we're all in the same boat together,' she said. The organisation focuses exclusively on providing information and guidance rather than financial assistance, helping potential refugees understand the legal aspects, paperwork requirements, and timeline of the refugee process. 'We don't touch any money because we don't want that target on our backs. We don't touch any funding initiatives or anything like that,' Busa emphasised. NOW READ: Start of new 'Great Trek'? Afrikaners arrive in US
