The former provincial Convener and leader of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party in the Mpumalanga provincial legislature has claimed that the party’s constitution is biased and publicly burned it as a sign of protest.
Mary Phadi made these claims outside the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela after the court upheld the party’s right to remove her as a member and leader in the provincial legislature and dismissed Phadi’s plea to have the party’s leader held in contempt of court for refusing to reinstate her.
Shortly after the ruling, Phadi and her supporters addressed the media and publicly burnt the constitution as a sign of protest. It is where she claimed it belongs to Mayibuye, an apparent reference to the fact that it was drafted by Floyd Shivambu, the former Secretary-General of the MK Party who is now leading Mayibuye’s consultative drive across the country.
“I haven’t seen it, the constitution is written Afrika Mayibuye, we are being governed by a constitution of Mayibuye Afrika. So comrades… today I am going to burn this constitution because it is biased, this constitution is biased because they appoint people they want.
“If you look at it carefully, this constitution was supposed to be followed but the court felt it should not. Because this constitution is full of lies, the true constitution of Umkhonto Wesizwe will come out. I am going to burn this one of Mayibuye and the right constitution will find me at home, I am burning their biased one,” Phadi said, as she publicly burnt it in front of her supporters.
Meanwhile, the MK Party has hailed the ruling, saying Phadi was on a mission to undermine the party and its voters in the Mpumalanga province.
It added that she even failed to prove her membership in the MK Party when legally challenged to do so. This ruling effectively means she is now back to being an ordinary South African with no links to the party led by former President Jacob Zuma.
“The judge affirms the decision of the MK Party to appoint Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane as the Provincial Convenor, as announced by President Zuma on 25th October 2024. This will bring much needed stability within the Party ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. President Zuma and the MK Party call on all genuine MK Party members to respect the non-negotiable principle of democratic centralism by respecting the decisions of the upper structures. The task ahead requires maximum discipline,” the party said.
