Former president Jacob Zuma has appointed Des van Rooyen as acting parliamentary leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), filling a role previously occupied by suspended deputy president Dr John Hlophe.
Hlophe was suspended on November 5 after the MKP accused him of making major decisions without consulting the party’s National High Command. The complaint centred on Hlophe’s move to replace chief whip Collen Makhubele with Van Rooyen while Zuma was in Burkina Faso meeting President Ibrahim Traoré.
After returning to South Africa and being briefed on the situation, Zuma reversed Hlophe’s decision, reinstated Makhubele, and placed Hlophe on suspension pending a full investigation.
In a media briefing on Friday, MKP spokesperson Sipho Tyira confirmed that Van Rooyen has now been formally appointed as acting parliamentary leader, while Hlophe remains both an MP and a member of the party.
“A legal team has been appointed to preside over those processes, and upon arriving at a conclusion, that legal team will present a detailed report to His Excellency, the President, and the national officials,” Tyira said.
He stressed that Hlophe remains a committed MKP member, and that Van Rooyen’s appointment is aimed at ensuring continuity and steady leadership in Parliament. Makhubele will continue as the party’s chief whip.
KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the MKP was correct to establish a legal panel to investigate Hlophe’s conduct, noting that the approach mirrors how the Patriotic Alliance handled allegations against its deputy president Kenny Kunene.
Ndlovu argued that the process ensures fairness, but questioned whether suspending Hlophe was necessary. “I think they were supposed to discuss this matter with him, and I don’t think there was a need to suspend him,” he said. “The fact that they have gone this far does not look good for Hlophe remaining with the MKP.”
He added that the MKP must tread carefully given Hlophe’s history of defending Zuma, a stance that cost him his judicial position. “Zuma knows that he owes Hlophe a lot and, therefore, they cannot just kick him out, leaving him without an income,” Ndlovu said. “At least as an MP, he still has an income.”
The legal inquiry into Hlophe’s conduct is expected to determine the next phase of the MKP’s internal leadership battles, with tensions simmering beneath the surface.
