The MKMVA says Khumalo is not known in the struggle. PICTURE: BONGANI MBATHA /AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)
The association which is a structure of the governing ANC, says the person who registered the party is not known in the ranks of Umkhonto Wesizwe.
Although little is known about the new Umkhonto Wesizwe political party, a registration notice shows that its offices are found in central Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
According to a letter by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to the party confirming its registration, one Jabulani Sibongiseni Khumalo is the contact person for the party.
In a recently released gazette, the party has been registered to contest the national elections.
The official gazette of the IEC shows that the party uses the M.K abbreviations and it was officially registered on September 7, 2023.
In a statement on Wednesday regarding the matter, the MKMVA said Khumalo was not in the underground structures or involved in the fight against apartheid.
It added that it is distancing itself from Khumalo whom it said is allegedly hellbent on destroying the legacy and heritage of the MK.
“The KZN provincial structure of the uMkhonto we Sizwe War Liberation Veterans also distanced itself from this opportunistic individual who is purported to be from KZN but is unknown in the MK community,” it said.
According to the association, the Umkhonto Wesizwe name belongs to the ANC and they will fight the decision to register the party with the IEC (Electoral Commission of South Africa).
“We wish to put it on record that the name uMkhonto we Sizwe remains the trademark and intellectual property of the African National Congress.
“As a result, we have registered our objection jointly with the ANC and have since submitted our objection documents with the IEC,” the association added.
Efforts to locate Khumalo failed as his contact details remain largely unknown.
By the time this report was compiled, the spokesperson of the IEC, Kate Bapela, was yet to confirm the claims by the association that it had lodged an objection over the registration of the party.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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