Durban — The Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) claims to have poached over 400 members from the rival IFP led by Velenkosini Hlabisa.
This move was celebrated at a welcoming ceremony at the Umlazi Cinema Hall, on Monday, drawing scores of MKP supporters.
The welcoming event, organised by MKP members from the Pass4 Phungula Zone, also served as a platform to unveil the party's new disaster programme aimed at supporting victims of the several disasters that have previously plagued the province.
This includes the devastating 2022 floods, which resulted in over 400 fatalities and left countless others homeless.
Food parcels were distributed to some victims of floods and those from impoverished families during the event. Clad in party regalia, MKP backers chanted revolutionary songs as they welcomed the new recruits into the MKP fold.
MKP is buoyed by the recent appointment of former ANC stalwart Willies Mchunu as the new convenor of the party in KwaZulu-Natal. Mchunu, who abruptly ditched the ANC to join his long-time ally Zuma in the MKP, is already on the frontlines of recruitment efforts, having kick-started his campaign in Chesterville last Saturday.
His experience as a former premier of KwaZulu-Natal and deputy chairperson of the ANC is expected to give significant weight to the MKP ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Another notable addition to the MKP is advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, the former public protector and erstwhile EFF Member of Parliament (MP), whose presence is expected to further galvanise support for the party’s agenda.
Former EFF national chairperson advocate Dali Mpofu has recently joined the MKP.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the IFP national spokesperson, dismissed the MKP's new recruits as a “rented crowd” via social media, suggesting a wave of ridicule from rivals in the ongoing political skirmish.
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