‘They plotted my exit’: Fired Sibonelo Nomvalo lifts lid on MK Party rifts

The former uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) secretary-general, Sibonelo Nomvalo who was sent packing by the organisation’s president Jacob Zuma last week Thursday has come out guns blazing clarifying his predicament after he was fired.

Nomvalo was axed from his two powerful positions as MKP’s secretary-general and also as an MP by Zuma last week, after facing a litany of allegations regarding concerns about candidate selection, internal factionalism, dual remuneration and delayed campaign materials among the reasons for his dismissal.

Allegations also included changes to parliamentary administration and high-level deployment committees allegedly created without the knowledge of authorised leadership structures, while he was the secretary general.

READ: Missing posters and election woes: MK Party explains Nomvalo’s removal

In a letter to Zuma on Sunday, Nomvalo opened a can of worms regarding a bitter power struggle that is threatening to tear through the MKP, accusing senior party figures of plotting his removal and feeding the organisation’s president “fake reports” to settle internal political scores.

Nomvalo confirmed to Sunday World that it was him who wrote, signed and addressed the letter to Zuma.

Nomvalo claimed a factional caucus is working to take control of the party’s organisational machinery, including the deployment of candidates ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

He specifically named Zuma’s Head of Presidency, Lindelani Mbambo, MKP’s national chairperson Mxolisi Phakathi and former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede as figures he alleges are involved in efforts to undermine him.

Nomvalo said he has evidence and witnesses to support his claims, but did not disclose the evidence in the letter.

The explosive allegations come amid growing tensions inside the MKP over leadership, parliamentary structures, candidate selection and control of municipal deployments.

Nomvalo said he has repeatedly tried to secure a meeting with Zuma to respond to allegations contained in a letter dated October 22, when he was fired, but claimed his attempts were frustrated.

He accused Mbambo of deliberately blocking efforts to arrange the meeting.

“I believe his [Mbambo] actions are oriented by the fact that he is actively taking part in a political cartel that has been plotting my exit as the secretary-general,” Nomvalo wrote.

READ: Police probe MK Party fraud complaint naming Nomvalo and Molefe

He alleged the plot intensified following the expulsion of Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma and the former spokesperson and MP, Nhlamulo Ndhlela from the party.

Nomvalo claimed Mbambo is associated with a “newly formed factional caucus” which, according to him, has been pushing to remove party members from positions in order to gain control of organisational processes.

He further accused some MKP leaders of using what he describes as “fake intelligence reports” to settle political scores.

Nomvalo said such conduct undermined Zuma’s authority and judgment.

One of the allegations Nomvalo seek to rebut concerns his remuneration.

He confirmed receiving about R50 000 net from parliament while also receiving a R75 000 monthly allowance from the MKP for his organisational responsibilities.

Nomvalo argued in his letter to Zuma that the combined amount remains below the salaries of the party’s first and second deputy presidents.

He said he asked to retain his parliamentary position when Zuma appointed him secretary general because the party allegedly did not have sufficient funds to cover his travel expenses.

READ: Listen: MK Party Free State leaders tear into each other

According to Nomvalo, the arrangement allowed him to use parliamentary resources while carrying out his party duties.

He also claimed the arrangement was not unique to him.

“I want to reiterate that my salary combined is still below the salary of other officials even though in principle the secretary general should get the highest salary since he is a full-time chief administrator within the organisation. Additionally, the current head of presidency, Mr Mbambo, is also benefiting from the same arrangement: He received his salary from government since he works in the presidency, he also receives an amount of R53 000 from the party coffers. Dr Hlophe and Mr Nhlamulo Ndlela also benefited from the same since they were both members of parliament and party leaders. Lindokuhle who currently works in the office of the President also receives the same treatment,” said Nomvalo in his letter.

Nomvalo also took aim at the controversy surrounding the restructuring of the MKP parliamentary whippery, which saw the chief whip Philasande Mkhize reshuffling MPs while the axed MKP boss was still the secretary general. Zuma later wrote to Hlophe, who is a leader of the party in parliament, to reverse all the changes made by Mkhize to restore order in the organisation’s parliamentary caucus.

Nomvalo said in his letter that Mkhize as a chief whip had repeatedly told him she had sought Zuma’s permission to change the whippery in parliament.

READ: MKPs revolving door slams shut on Nomvalo after evening shake-up

Nomvalo claimed the restructuring was subsequently misrepresented to Zuma as him having “fired eight” MPs who were then left sitting at home.

He insisted the whippery is an administrative support structure for the chief whip and MKP parliamentary caucus and argued that changing its composition did not require a prior meeting of all party officials.

According to Nomvalo, he said that the secretary general normally informs officials of such developments after implementation.

His version directly challenges any suggestion that the parliamentary restructuring was undertaken behind Zuma’s back.

The most politically explosive part of the letter concerns the selection and deployment of candidates for the upcoming local government elections.

Nomvalo claimed the decision to establish deployment committees was taken at a national officials meeting and later reinforced at another meeting chaired by Sebiloane Mokotjo, who is the MKP’s national deputy chairperson.

He urged Zuma to obtain the minutes of those meetings to verify his account.

MK Party in a spin over Zuma’s hospital stay

Nomvalo also alleged that Phakathi told him that Zuma had instructed him to lead the deployment of mayoral candidates in KwaZulu-Natal.

He said he reported this to the party’s first deputy president Duduzane Zuma and was advised to proceed with implementing the national officials’ decision.

Nomvalo claimed that shortly after he instructed structures to establish deployment committees, Phakathi and Gumede approached Zuma in Zimbali Estate in Durban and made allegations against him.

He describes this as no coincidence and alleges their objective was to influence Zuma to remove him.

“Therefore, it is not a coincidence that a day after I advised structures to establish deployment committees, Apostle Phakathi and Cde. Zandile Gumede came to you in Zimbali [Estate] to peddle only lies about me with a motive to influence you to remove me. This is malicious, baseless, and fallacious.

“If anything, I protected the organisation against manipulation of processes. When I heard that some comrades are taking bribes for PR positions before the IEC cutoff date, I issued an instruction that regions must only submit one PR name for each municipality. This was also meant to create an opportunity for regions, provinces and national to organise themselves properly to select PR lists under a conducive environment.

“Secondly, wards selected their own ward candidates, I never attended even a single ward meeting neither was I involved in capturing process of names to the IEC system. All I was doing by instructing structures to establish deployment committees was to ensure that by the time the IEC opens the system for the submission of the final PR lists the party is ready at all levels and all relevant structures would have been involved. In conclusion, this is just a tip of the iceberg Mr President,’ he said, adding that he will spill more beans once he eventually met with Zuma.

“I want to emphasise the point that I am extremely concerned about the direction of our Party because the modus operandi of undermining your intellectual capacity by submitting fake reports to you and programmed people who come to tell lies about other comrades is now back in full force. It is highly championed by Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi. I can count many instances where he brought comrades with whom he rehearsed lies to be tabled to you to influence your posture when taking decisions. I hope the above is in order with you.”

Nomvalo accused Phakathi of championing a campaign to undermine Zuma’s understanding of internal party affairs by allegedly bringing people before him with rehearsed allegations against other comrades, adding that he feared that the party is returning to a culture in which internal disputes are settled through accusations and factional manoeuvring rather than organisational processes.

“I am extremely concerned about the direction of our Party,” he wrotes.

The letter laid bare a deepening struggle over who controls the MKP’s organisational machinery ahead of the local government elections.

At its core it’s a battle over deployments, parliamentary structures, remuneration and access to Zuma — the party’s central political authority, and the letter suggests the battle is no longer being fought quietly behind closed doors.

When contacted about the letter, Phakathi said that he had seen the letter on social media, but opted not to comment.

“That letter was written to President Zuma by Mr Nomvalo, and I was going to comment if president Zuma had engaged me about it. However, based on the fact that it was not a letter written to me, I won’t be able to say much about its content and the author as a matter of principle and respect for the MKP and its leader, ” said Phakathi.

Gumede promised to call back as she was in the meeting, while Mbambo and the party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu did not respond to questions sent to them.

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