Inside Politics Reporter
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has cancelled its local government election manifesto launch and ordered an urgent investigation into discrepancies in its councillor candidate list, less than three weeks before the 4 November elections.
The party announced on Tuesday night that its Siyathatha rally, scheduled for the weekend, had been cancelled, with its election manifesto instead set to be distributed electronically on Thursday.
The announcement comes as party president Jacob Zuma, 84, remains hospitalised after falling ill last week.
The party said a meeting had identified discrepancies in the final councillor candidate list published by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), including the alleged omission of candidates who had been legitimately nominated.
“The meeting noted the reported discrepancies in the final councillor candidate list published by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). An urgent and independent investigation will be conducted, and its findings will be submitted to the Presidency for consideration,” it said.
“The Party commits to ensuring that candidates whose names were omitted or who were inadvertently excluded from the final councillor candidate list are prioritised for the first available positions, subject to applicable Party processes and requirements,” it said.
Zuma still in hospital
Zuma remains under medical care at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, where he was admitted last week after falling ill during a campaign engagement in Msinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
On Tuesday, Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi denied reports that the former president had been discharged, contradicting an earlier report by eNCA.
The party did not link the cancellation to Zuma’s hospitalisation, and did not mention him in its statement.
It also announced plans to establish deployment committees to oversee the appointment of councillors from its proportional representation (PR) lists.
“The meeting resolved to establish deployment committees at national, provincial and regional levels to finalise the deployment of councillors from the Proportional Representation (PR) lists,” it said.
Nationwide door-to-door campaign
The party also announced the launch of its national Molo Makhelwane campaign, which will run until midnight on 3 November, the day before the elections.
The campaign will focus on “direct engagement” with communities, it said.
“All structures are called upon to engage directly with communities, visit households, reach out to churches and listen to the concerns of our people in every city, township, farm and village across the country.”
The party has also adopted the slogan “Green Every Day” — the MKP colours — replacing its “Green Fridays”, as it seeks to increase its visibility ahead of the polls. It “noted the growth in membership” of the party and called on “all members to warmly welcome and embrace new members as we continue to build a united and inclusive organisation”.
“As of today, Green Fridays become Green Every Day! Our commitment to the people must be visible every day, in every community,” it said.
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