The MKP parliament has sacked Mzwanele Manyi as the party's Chief Whip in Parliament.
Image: Chris Collingridge/Independent Newspapers
MK Party member Mzwanele Manyi, recently removed as chief whip of the MK Party in Parliament, has described his dismissal as a "political manoeuvre" rather than a result of poor performance.
The news initially circulated through MK Party WhatsApp groups before being confirmed to IOL by the party’s Deputy Chief Whip, Muzi Ntshingila.
A WhatsApp message shared within the party stated: "Please be informed that Hon. Mzwanele Manyi has been relieved of his duties as Chief Whip with immediate effect.
''We thank him for his service and dedication to the MK Party and wish him the very best in his future endeavours. We are pleased to announce that Hon. Colleen Makhubele has been appointed as the new Chief Whip of the MK Party. We are confident that she will lead with strength and vision as we continue to advance our collective mission."
In an interview with 702, Manyi emphasised that his departure was part of a broader party strategy, aligned with the dynamic nature of political deployment.
“This is not a performance-related decision at all,” Manyi said. “If it was a performance decision there would have been all kinds of discussions. I would have had with the SG some serious discussions. Nobody here can leak to you that I was ever put on the red carpet in terms of performance.”
Manyi highlighted the distinction between "deployment" and "employment" in politics.
“With deployment, you live on a day-to-day. With employment, you put a contract and all of that. In the political space, you are in deployment. What you should understand is that you are in the service of the party. The party takes the helicopter view.”
He compared party politics to a chess game: “All the pieces on the chessboard must move at some point. It cannot be that if you are a piece in the chessboard, you want to just stay there and nothing must happen to you.”
Manyi emphasised that he is “losing no sleep” over the move and remains a loyal member of the MK party, continuing his role in the National Assembly and in parliamentary committees.
Addressing claims that some MK party members were unhappy with his leadership, Manyi acknowledged internal friction but called it part of the natural "storming phase."
“There’s bound to be all those kinds of storming phases and all of that. So that is a normal process anywhere you go.”
However, one senior MK Party official told IOL that Manyi’s downfall stemmed from his arrogance. “He fails to listen and protect his caucus and wants to shine in the media alone and not give anyone a chance,” the official said.
Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in his successor, Makhubele, describing her as capable and articulate.
“Parliament has got rules, the very first thing is to appoint yourself with all the rules of Parliament and be able to guide caucus. Colleen is a bright person. She’s not a newcomer in the game. I really think that she’ll do extremely well.”
Manyi reaffirmed his loyalty to the MK party and dismissed any speculation that he might defect.
“Ah! Ah! No, no, no. MK party is the future. It’s the last hope for the people of South Africa. I’m moving nowhere. Trust me.
''This move that MK is making is not instability. It's repositioning,'' he said.
He framed the leadership changes within the party as part of its preparation to take on government responsibilities, warning of the possibility of parliament’s dissolution by July.
“This is going to be a government in waiting. The South African parliament is actually facing dissolution. So as MK party, we are gearing for that.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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