Fired MK Party Founder Jabulani Khumalo Faces Another Legal Defeat
Image Source: Expelled uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party founder and leader Jabulani Khumalo. Photo: X/@IamMzilikazi
Published by Everything ZA News
Cape Town, South Africa – In a significant legal setback, Jabulani Khumalo, the ousted founder of the MK Party, has suffered another defeat in his attempt to secure a position on the party’s parliamentary list. The Western Cape High Court on Thursday dismissed Khumalo’s application to interdict Parliament’s decision to exclude him as an MKP candidate to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP).
Khumalo’s legal challenge, filed on Tuesday, aimed to reverse Parliament’s confirmation that he would not be included on the list, despite being number one on the MKP’s list to Parliament. This dismissal comes just a day before the first parliamentary sitting, scheduled for Friday in Cape Town.
Court Rulings Against Khumalo
This ruling marks Khumalo’s second recent legal defeat. On Wednesday, the Electoral Court rejected his bid to be reinstated as a party leader, dismissing his attempt to invalidate the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) record of former President Jacob Zuma as the MKP leader. The court criticized Khumalo’s application as an abuse of judicial process and a waste of resources, ordering him to cover the legal costs incurred by the opposing respondents.
Court’s Firm Stance
In a document obtained by IOL, the court stated: “For all the above reasons, the application also constitutes an abuse of this Court’s process and a waste of its judicial economy and the opposing respondents’ resources. They have incurred legal costs opposing an application that should not have seen the light of day. It would be unfair to leave the respondents out of pocket under these circumstances.”
The court emphasized that this decision serves as a warning to the public against making false statements under oath and abusing judicial processes.
Perjury Charges Pending
Following the court’s ruling, the MKP’s recognized leadership announced intentions to lay perjury charges against Khumalo. In a statement, they asserted, “To that end, MK Party leadership has already approached its legal team with the intention to open a criminal case against Jabulani Khumalo for lying under oath. Concurrent with the court, we wish to send a message that indeed making false statements under oath and abuse of court process must be addressed sharply.”
Implications for the MK Party
Khumalo’s exclusion from the parliamentary list and the subsequent legal battles highlight ongoing internal strife within the MK Party. As the party navigates these controversies, it remains to be seen how this will impact its political standing and unity moving forward.
The first sitting of Parliament, which will see the swearing-in of new members and the election of key officials, proceeds as planned amidst these internal disputes within the MK Party.
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