The spear has ripped through Judge Hlophe

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has announced the precautionary suspension of its Deputy President and Parliamentary Leader, Dr John Hlophe, following internal disputes about decisions taken in Parliament without collective consultation.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the party confirmed that its President, Jacob Zuma, suspended Dr Hlophe from both his leadership positions with immediate effect. The decision comes shortly after Zuma returned from a trip to Burkina Faso and was briefed on changes made at the National Assembly by Hlophe without approval from the broader party leadership.
According to the statement, the suspension will remain in place while the party conducts a full investigation into Hlophe’s conduct. The move follows tensions that arose after Hlophe removed Collen Makhubele as Chief Whip and replaced her with Des van Rooyen.
“The decision is meant to affirm the principle of collective leadership across all structures within the uMkhonto weSizwe Party,” said Magasela Mzobe, the party’s Head of Presidency. “Consequently, the decision taken by Dr Hlophe to remove Comrade Collen Makhubele and appoint Comrade Des van Rooyen is therefore nullified.”
Mzobe said the leadership of the party remained united and committed to discipline and accountability. “This decision should be viewed as a demonstration of the Party’s unwavering commitment to internal discipline and collective leadership,” he said.
He added that the organization remained stable despite the latest developments. “The MK Party wishes to assure all its members, supporters and the broader South African public that the organization remains stable, focused and steadfast in pursuing its mission to bring about genuine transformation and justice for the people of South Africa,” Mzobe said.
The statement emphasized that Zuma’s decision was taken after consultations with the party’s top officials, and that it was not intended to divide the movement but to restore order.
The suspension of Hlophe comes only a day after he reshuffled parliamentary positions, a move that caused friction among senior members. On Tuesday, Colleen Makhubele was removed as Chief Whip and replaced by Des Van Rooyen, a former finance minister in the Zuma administration. The change was immediately challenged within the party.
Hlophe, a former Judge President of the Western Cape High Court, joined politics earlier this year after being impeached by Parliament for gross misconduct. He became one of the most prominent figures in the MK Party and was appointed as both Deputy President and Parliamentary Leader after the national elections.
However, his latest actions appear to have put him at odds with Zuma’s leadership. Party insiders say the suspension signals an attempt by the leadership to enforce unity and prevent unilateral decisions.
South Africans reacted quickly on social media platform X, sharing mixed views about the suspension. One user wrote, “I said he would not last more than two years. Well, he did not.” Another commented, “This MK Party has decided to control the narrative when it comes to what you publish about it, and you are falling for it.”
A third user remarked, “Umkhonto strikes again, this time at home. Whether by sword or scandal, instability is now the MK Party’s only constant. How long can this experiment hold? Gwaza Mkhonto.”