Latest news with #Manyi
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
After Manyi's axing, focus now turns to MKP's Floyd Shivambu's future in the party
MK Party leader Jacob Zuma is said to be considering sacking Floyd Shivambu as a Secretary-General of the party. Image: archives The Jacob Zuma led MK Party (MKP) decision to axe Zuma's longtime confidante Mzwanele Manyi as Chief Whip has raised questions over the future of the current Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu. It has been reported that Manyi's removal as a party's parliamentary chief whip was prompted by his fallout with Zuma's deputy John Hlophe and stemmed from the State of the Nation Address debate where Manyi reportedly duped Hlophe into delivering a speech under the pretext that it was supplied by Zuma. It later emerged that Manyi had allegedly lied and the two exchanged heated arguments in front of the caucus members in a meeting which many said almost degenerated into physical fight. Party insiders said Manyi's removal signaled that more significant changes were to come and Shivambu's position was tenuous, especially after he had a fallout with Zuma's daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela on Thursday dismissed the suggestions that Shivambu would be axed as 'rumours', accusing those behind these messages of being 'sensationalists'. "There is no correlation between Manyi's removal as chief whip and Shivambu. What does Manyi's removal have to do with the work of our SG. People always want to speculate (about these) things and we have heard this for a long time. There is no truth in this," said Ndhlela. Party members from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fact that Duduzile was not charged for publicly insulting Shivambu was a sign that Zuma was not prepared to sacrifice her over Shivambu. 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 ✕ Ad loading In February Zuma-Sambudla issued a public apology after using social media platform X to hurl insults at Shivambu. 'I do not think Shivambu will survive the coming political changes in the party. His issue is not only with Duduzile but also with party members in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng who are not comfortable with his leadership style. When Phumlani Mfeka resigned as both a party member and a member in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, he cited issues with Shivambu as one of the reasons,' said a source. Mfeka, who is the leader socio-economic group Injeje which is advocating for African nationalism, commands a lot of support from traditional leaders - something that Zuma regarding as an important constituency for his party. Dissenting voices within MKP have also been complaining about the parachuting of newcomers in the party, saying they were given senior positions while the founding members were being overlooked. Addressing the media on the sidelines of the national high command in Durban last month, Shivhambu dispelled rumours that there were members of the party who were not happy with his leadership and presence in the party. He said no member has raised these issues in the formal meetings of the party and he would not entertain faceless voices on social media platforms.
The South African
6 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
Colleen Makhubele replaces Manyi as MK Party Chief Whip
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has appointed Colleen Makhubele as the new chief whip of the party in parliament. Makhubele takes over the reins from Mzwanele Manyi, who was the party's chief whip for nine months. The party highlighted Makhubele's experience and leadership as a contributing factor to her appointment. 'As a respected leader and seasoned parliamentarian, her appointment reflects the Party's confidence in her ability to provide disciplined coordination, strengthen parliamentary oversight and champion the interests of our movement in the National Assembly,' the party said. MK Party Deputy President John Hlophe, in a letter, relieved Manyi of his duties with immediate effect. In the letter, he said: 'I am writing to inform you that, with immediate effect, you are hereby relieved of your duties. This decision was made with careful consideration and in the interest of advancing the collective goals and objectives of our party.' Speculations are suggesting that Manyi's removal was due to an altercation between him and Hlophe. In February this year, Manyi and Hlophe were at loggerheads over Hlophe's SONA speech. Manyi allegedly told Hlophe to discard his speech and take the one that was purportedly prepared by party leader Jacob Zuma. However, it emerged that the speech was not prepared by Zuma, making Hlophe furious. He confronted Manyi, leading to an alleged physical altercation. Manyi disputed that his removal was due to his fallout with Hlophe. He explained, 'I do not believe that my removal had anything to do with what happened during the SONA. My relationship with Hlophe as our caucus leader is fine. We talk a lot, so I can't say he removed me for that. I will continue with my role as an ordinary MP, so there is no big deal in my removal.' Manyi stated that he remains a party member and his relationship with Zuma will remain intact. Additionally, he will continue to be the spokesperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation which he was appointed while still with the EFF. He joined the MK Party in August 2024, along with other EFF former members including Floyd Shivambu. Manyi's removal shocks many, given his long-standing, close ties with Zuma. Manyi has consistently praised Zuma's strategic thinking, likening it to a game of chess. 'Chess is a game of thinkers. Calmness is key, thinking is central, seeing the bigger picture is fundamental, and understanding the moves of your opponent is the main ingredient.' 'You can't play chess if you are permanently angry, emotional and impulsive. MK Party is led by a thinker,' said Manyi when he joined the MK Party. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
7 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Mzwanele Manyi says fallout with Hlophe not the reason behind MKP axing him as chief whip
The MKP parliament has sacked Mzwanele Manyi as the party's Chief Whip in Parliament. Image: Chris Collingridge/Independent Newspapers Axed Umkhonto weSizwe Party parliament chief whip Mzwanele Manyi said his rift with the party's caucus leader Dr John Hlophe was not behind his removal from the senior party position. The MKP announced that Manyi was removed as a chief whip on Tuesday to be replaced by Colleen Makhubele, with party sources saying this was the outcome of conflict that had developed during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this year. Manyi reportedly coerced Hlophe to deliver a speech Manyi had given him at the last minute instead of the one Hlophe had prepared. Hlophe, as the official opposition leader was responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa SONA speech. Manyi was alleged to have told Hlophe that the speech was from party founder, Jacob Zuma, however, after it emerged later that Zuma was unaware of the speech and Hlophe was reportedly furious and confronted Manyi in a caucus meeting. On Wednesday Manyi denied claims of a fallout with Hlophe, saying that it would be difficult to reach that conclusion and this was not the reason provided by the party for his removal. 'I do not believe that my removal had anything to do with what happened during the SONA. My relationship with Hlophe as our caucus leader is fine. We talk a lot so I can't say he removed me for that. I will continue with my role as ordinary MP so there is no big deal in my removal. This was just an administrative role,' said Manyi. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ He said his removal as chief whip will not affect his political standing in the party since the position is an administrative role, adding that he still has a good relationship with Zuma and remains spokesperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation. However, a senior MKP member in KwaZulu-Natal, who is close to Zuma, said more significant changes are coming as Zuma has returned to the country after a trip to China. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said although Hlophe had written to Manyi informing him that he was no longer chief whip, this would not have happened without Zuma's approval. 'This is not the end of the shake up, in fact it is the beginning since the president (Zuma) had indicated that he would announce big changes when he comes back from overseas. In a couple of days you will hear a big political announcement by the MKP and people will be shocked,' said the source. Manyi's removal shocked many as he had been close to Zuma before the establishment of the MKP. Zuma entrusted him with the position of spokesperson of his foundation while Manyi was still with the ATM and Manyi continued with this role even after joining EFF. He dumped the EFF in August last year for the MKP and was immediately appointed chief whip, replacing the former party secretary Sihle Ngubane.
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Mzwanele Manyi axed as MK party chief whip in Parliament
It is understood Colleen Makhubele is the new chief whip of the MK party. MK party chief whip Mzwanele Manyi has been removed from his position in parliament. National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza announced Colleen Makhubele as the new chief whip of the MK party at the beginning of Tuesday's plenary session in which President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to answer questions in Parliament. The Citizen has contacted MK party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlele and Manyi for comment. This will be included in the article once received. Manyi fired The announcement of Manyi's removal began circulating on MK Party WhatsApp groups, according to News24. A party insider told the publication that the message was written by MK party Caucus leader John Hlophe and circulated in the MK Party's WhatsApp groups. 'I am writing to inform you that, with immediate effect, you are hereby relieved of your duties as the chief whip of the MK Party in the National Assembly, the message reads: 'This decision was made with careful consideration and in the interest of advancing the collective goals and objectives of our party. 'On behalf of the party leadership, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication, hard work, and service in this demanding role,' the WhatsApp message read. ALSO READ: MK party dispels alleged physical dispute between Hlophe and Manyi Hlophe vs Manyi In February, the MK Party denied reports of an alleged dispute between Hlophe and Manyi, with allegations that things became physical between the two. Hlophe raised eyebrows after dedicating his entire State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate reply in Parliament praising MK party leader Jacob Zuma, including hailing him as the 'best president ever'. However, Zuma was unhappy with the speeches delivered by MK Party MPs and confronted Hlophe about his speech. Manyi's axing comes amid reports of a document that called for the restructuring of some MK party leadership positions. ALSO READ: Zuma's MK party in turmoil as members allegedly threaten each other with guns
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
SSA now watching private airstrips
Government is conducting security assessments at aerodromes and private airstrips as some of them are suspected of being used for illicit activities such as arms, drugs and human trafficking. This is according to Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency responsible for the affairs of the State Security Agency (SSA), who was responding to oral questions in parliament on Wednesday with other ministers in the peace and security cluster. Ntshavheni told MPs that since the beginning of the 2025/2026 financial year in April, multidisciplinary law enforcement agencies, led by the SSA, had private airstrips on their radar as part of government's strategy to tackle serious and organised crime. 'In pursuit of our mandate as SSA and in support of the department of transport we conduct continuous airport security risk assessments and this covers all public airports and private airports. 'This work has been extended from this financial year to cover aerodromes or small airports or airfields, so we can cover our mandate to deal with the concerns raised by the member,' she said. Ntshavheni was responding to a question submitted by MP Mzwanele Manyi, chief whip of the official opposition in the National Assembly, the MK Party. Manyi wanted to know what measures, since 2018, the SSA had put in place to probe and respond to the proliferation of private airstrips, which he said were suspected of aiding 'cross-border illicit activities'. He also asked Ntshavheni to explain how many 'unregistered or lightly regulated' airstrips the SSA was aware of. 'If these suspicious [airstrips] are being kept under surveillance then how do you explain the ongoing smuggling of drugs, human trafficking, proliferation of firearms and ammunition, endangered wildlife and foreign currency through these strips? 'All without a single interception detected by the SSA. Could it be that the infamous Phala Phala dollars also entered through these routes, in these airstrips, given that Sars customs through all official airports have no records of these transactions? Are we to conclude, minister, that your agency has failed to detect these threats or elements of the state are complicit?' Ntshavheni did not fall for the Phala Phala trap with her terse reply to Manyi's follow-up question. 'As we have indicated, we've extended the security risk assessment to aerodromes to deal with that concern. However, monitoring the airspaces which the member is referring to [is the responsibility of] the SANDF, [via] the air force.' DA MP Diane Kohler-Barnard, who has extensive experience as a legislator in the security cluster, indicated there were at least 400 public and private airports, airstrips and landing strips. 'On the whole they cater to local communities, private businesspeople and aviation enthusiast. There are among those airstrips [those] that are used under the radar to drop off drugs, move kidnap victims or live animals. 'However, most of these strips are used legitimately for tourists to get to game farms, for medical transport, so is the SSA, hopefully, working in tandem with crime intelligence, targeting those strips used for criminal activity while clearing those who aren't? 'I fear the SSA will do what they do tend to do, which is block any use by anyone in case there's some criminal use, is that the case and if not, what is the risk level?' she asked. The minister replied saying it was not the responsibility of the SSA to decide who could or could not operate a private airstrip. Their job was to conduct security assessments on behalf of the licensing authorities.
