MK Party Drops ‘Commander’ Title in Favour of ‘Comrade’ to Promote Unity

MK Party Says Goodbye to ‘Commander’ Hello ‘Comrade’

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has officially dropped the use of “commander” as a title for its members, replacing it with the more egalitarian “comrade”.

The directive, issued in a communiqué on August 7 by national organiser Joe Ndhlela, calls for immediate compliance across all levels of the party.

“Dear comrades, the National Officials of the MK Party met yesterday, August 6, 2025. We made key decisions to strengthen our revolutionary unity and structure,” Ndhlela wrote. “All levels of the party must implement them without delay.”

The shift is intended to reinforce a shared revolutionary identity and remove hierarchical undertones, ensuring that every member stands on equal footing.

New Titles for Leadership Structures

The communiqué also announced structural changes to leadership titles:

• Provincial convenor will now be known as provincial chairperson (including deputies).

• Provincial co-ordinator will now be provincial secretary (including deputies).

These updates will apply consistently across regional, sub-regional, zone, and branch levels. Ndhlela emphasised that the changes were “vital for the movement’s strength and growth”.

Zuma: ‘We Can’t All Be Commanders’

Earlier this year, Zuma voiced his disapproval of the term “commander”, calling it a remnant of rigid military hierarchy that undermines respect within the party.

“Do you know what ‘commander’ means?” he asked during a speech. “It implies someone gives orders while others simply obey. We can’t all be commanders, that’s a problem.”

Zuma said the move to “comrade” is about restoring mutual respect and fostering a culture of equality.

“We will fix the whole thing so that we can respect each other. That’s why there’s no respect, because we keep using titles that divide us,” he said.

The MK Party now hopes that by changing its language, it can change its culture, trading command for camaraderie.

{Source: The Citizen}

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