The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has implemented another round of senior leadership changes, appointing former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe as treasurer-general. Molefe becomes the fourth person to hold the position since the party’s formation. He replaces Mpiyakhe Limba, who was removed with immediate effect following a decision communicated by party leader Jacob Zuma and MKP national officials. Limba had been appointed to the role only in March last year.

Announcing the appointment, MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela cited Molefe’s “extensive experience in public administration, governance, finance and organisational leadership.” Molefe previously served as chief executive of Transnet and is currently out on R50,000 bail, facing charges of fraud, corruption, and contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act and the Companies Act related to his tenure at the state logistics company.

The party also confirmed the removal of Colleen Makhubele as chief whip. She had assumed the role in May after replacing Mzwanele Manyi. Ndhlela stated that the MK party had decided to relieve Makhubele of her duties as chief whip with immediate effect, while she remains a Member of Parliament. This marks her second removal from the position. She was first ousted in November by then-parliamentary leader John Hlophe, who appointed Des van Rooyen as her replacement. Zuma later overturned that decision, reinstated Makhubele, and suspended Hlophe for what the party described as an unauthorised action. Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, the MK party’s chief whip in the National Council of Provinces, will now serve as acting chief whip in the National Assembly.

In another development, the MK party announced the lifting of Vanessa Calvert’s suspension, reinstating her as chief of staff in its parliamentary caucus. Calvert had been suspended after allegedly refusing to approve the appointment of a service provider said to be linked to the husband of Colleen Makhubele.

These developments reflect a broader pattern of leadership turnover within the MK party since its launch in Soweto in December 2023. The position of secretary-general alone has changed hands several times and is currently held by Bongani Mncwango, following tenures by Floyd Shivambu, Arthur Zwane, Sihle Ngubane, Sfiso Maseko, and Thanduxolo Dyodo.

Despite ongoing internal instability, the MK party emerged as the third-largest party nationally in the 2024 general elections. It became the official opposition after the Democratic Alliance joined President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of national unity. The party recorded its strongest performance in KwaZulu-Natal, where it also serves as the official opposition, and expanded its representation in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

According to the party, the latest leadership changes were implemented “in the best interests of strengthening the movement and advancing its political mandate,” with Ndhlela reaffirming MK’s commitment to organisational discipline, collective leadership, and the consolidation of its internal structures.