Cape Town — The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has denied any claims of any internal disputes between its Deputy President, John Hlophe, and Chief Whip, Mzwanele Manyi.
This comes after allegations surfaced that the two were involved in a physical altercation after Hlophe dedicated his State of Nation Address (SONA) debate speech to President Jacob Zuma, hailing him as the “best president ever”, News24 reported.
It is believed that Zuma was unhappy with Hlophe’s speech and confronted him about it, and this led to a heated exchange between Hlophe and Manyi during the party’s meeting on the Wednesday after.
Hlophe was unhappy with the speech Manyi gave him and this led to things getting physical between the two, with Hlophe allegedly grabbing Manyi by the neck and asking him why he betrayed him like that.
DEVELOPING: There appears to be a fallout within the MKP Caucus between Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi and Caucus Leader Dr. John Hlophe. SABC News reporter Samkele Maseko has the details of the story. pic.twitter.com/8aPD4L4g5O
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 13, 2025
In a statement, the MK Party firmly dispelled any claims of a leadership dispute and condemned the deliberate spread of misinformation regarding Manyi and Hlophe.
The party condemned certain X accounts and News24 for circulating false claims, including fabrication of a “physical altercation between Manyi and Hlophe.
“We categorically state that these allegations are entirely baseless. It is disingenuous to characterise internal party discussions as a “fight,” let alone a physical confrontation. Such distortions serve only to mislead the public and undermine the MK Party’s credibility and our principles of discipline,” MK spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela said.
The party was also disappointed with the SABC for amplifying the false narrative and said, as a public broadcaster, it had the duty to uphold journalistic integrity, but instead chose “baseless gossip” over factual reporting.
“MK Party wants to state that, against the wishes of those who fear the power of the MK Party and attempt to drive a wedge amongst our leadership, we remain united and steadfast in our mission to serve the people of South Africa,” Ndhlela said.
He urged media outlets to report sensibly and resist using political propaganda to drive narrow political mandates and short-sighted agendas.
[MEDIA STATEMENT]: MK PARTY DISPELS FALSE CLAIMS OF LEADERSHIP DISPUTES. pic.twitter.com/6qheLqwlP8
— uMkhonto WeSizwe Party (Official) (@MkhontoweSizwex) February 14, 2025
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
