In a dramatic move that highlights the internal turbulence within the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, its parliamentary chief whip, Colleen Makhubele, has been fired. The sudden dismissal comes on the heels of an explosive IOL investigation into allegations of serious misconduct, including an attempt to channel a lucrative MK contract to a company linked to her husband.
Makhubele has been replaced, with immediate effect, by Des van Rooyen, an MP famously known as the “weekend special” for his brief four-day tenure as South Africa’s finance minister in 2015. This makes Van Rooyen the fourth person to hold the chief whip position for the MK Party since the 2024 elections.
The Unspoken Reasons Behind the Fall
While the official party statement was silent on the specific reasons for Makhubele’s ousting, praising Van Rooyen and speaking of a “strengthened, disciplined” caucus, party insiders point directly to the damning allegations.
A senior party source revealed that an internal report had recommended Makhubele’s suspension pending an investigation. However, the decision was more final. “We already had all the evidence there was no need to investigate. The facts were there and she had to go,” the insider stated.
The evidence, according to the internal report, includes two major issues. Firstly, Makhubele is alleged to have tried to secure a service provider contract for the MK Party worth over R180,000 per month for a company where her husband serves as a director. Secondly, the report claims she failed a parliamentary vetting process required for a seat on the powerful Intelligence Portfolio Committee.
A Wider Web of Suspension and Intrigue
The scandal appears to have wider tentacles. A second party insider claimed that the MK Party’s chief of staff, Vanessa Calvert, was previously suspended for a staggering three months without charge. The alleged reason? Her refusal to authorize the appointment of the very company connected to Makhubele’s husband.
Calvert has since confirmed that she has been reinstated and has resumed her duties, a move that suggests her stance against the alleged contract has been vindicated by Makhubele’s dismissal.
Throughout the unfolding scandal, Colleen Makhubele has not responded to numerous requests for comment. Her silence and rapid removal paint a picture of a party seeking to contain a damaging controversy, trading a chief whip embroiled in scandal for one with a famously controversial political history of his own. The MK Party’s parliamentary mission, it seems, is being redefined amidst a cloud of internal turmoil.
