Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Willies Mchunu to head MK party's ...
Former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Impeached public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has joined Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party as its Mpumalanga convenor, a week after her resignation from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
The MK party announced Mkhwebane’s addition during a media briefing on Friday, where it also introduced former KwaZulu-Natal premier and long-time Zuma ally Willies Mchunu as the party’s KwaZulu-Natal convenor.
Mkhwebane and Mchunu were presented as key figures in “advancing the party’s mission to promote accountability and integrity in governance”, said MK party secretary general Sifiso Maseko.
The party would benefit from having both the new members occupying the positions, he said.
Maseko described Mkhwebane as a seasoned public servant and “true fighter for justice and equal rights”.
“She is the former public protector, who was unlawfully removed from her office for confronting the status quo and asking necessary and relevant questions,” he said.
In her response Mkhwebane said she was happy to join the party as it has become her new home.
“I joined the MK party because I felt that it is a home which understands the persecution of a black person. The oppression and the challenges. I could relate with the constitution of the MK party because it is what is needed to liberate the people. I am not lost, I am home,” Mkhwebane said.
Mkhwebane said the party’s core principles reflect the ideals that have driven her career in public service.
She said her decision to join the party was not due to recruitment, clarifying that her move aligns with her commitment to progressive causes.
She said that party transitions among progressives should not be misinterpreted, as these moves are focused “solely on advancing shared struggles”.
“Let’s just focus on how we can take these progressive parties forward and discuss how we can work together to change the status quo,” Mkhwebane said.
Mkhwebane joins her husband, David Skosana, who was appointed as an MK party MP in June, despite initially announcing that she was resigning from the EFF to focus on her family and loved ones.
“After careful consideration and talking to my family, they advised me and felt I needed to go away. Spend time with them, rest, and continue to fight for the vulnerable where possible,” she said in her letter of resignation.
Maseko said Mchunu will head KwaZulu-Natal to advance the party’s programmes as it heads to the local government elections in 2026.
“The province of KwaZulu-Natal is very important and strategic because our organisation is the largest political party in KZN after the 2024 general elections,” Maseko said.
Mchunu left the ANC early this month after he criticised the party for not involving the MK party in the government of national unity (GNU) constituted after the 29 May election.
Mchunu referenced the formation of the national unity government and the KwaZulu-Natal government of provincial unity as key issues influencing his decision.
In his acceptance speech, Mchunu said the people of KwaZulu-Natal also had aspirations that even he could not assist with while he was still the premier but believed that the MK party was capable of bringing change.
“I have stated many reasons [for joining the MK party] in my resignation letter, therefore I will forward that resignation letter. But it is important to indicate that at that stage I did not indicate which party appealed to me.
“It is only now that I can tell the people of South Africa, particularly KwaZulu-Natal, that I had interactions with the leaders of the MK party.”
The party’s decision to parachute new members is in line with its new constitution, which allows it to do so if the appointment helps advance the party’s cause, Maseko said.
