‘Not a family stokvel’ — MK party expels Zuma’s daughter and MP Nhlamulo Ndhlela

Former president Jacob Zuma’s political party, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), has officially expelled his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and parliamentary member Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

The expulsion was announced by the MK secretary-general, Sibonelo Nomvalo, at a press conference in Cedarwoods, Johannesburg, on 18 June.

Nomvalo said the pair had made “a series of actions, public statements and activities” that were in conflict with the constitutional obligations of members and leaders of the MK party and had “undermined organisational unity, discipline and cohesion”.

Nomvalo highlighted that Zuma-Sambudla had made repeated public statements and social media posts that undermined the authority of party leadership and led to factionalism within the party. In Ndhlela’s case, Nomvalo referred to an unauthorised press briefing he held in May, which led to his immediate removal as the party spokesperson.

The pair were also reprimanded for an incident preceding the death of MP Mzikayise “‘Muzi” Ntshingila on 4 June after an illness. According to Nomvalo, the two had transferred the ailing MP to a medical facility without his family’s knowledge. Furthermore, they defied explicit party orders to stay away from his funeral and refrain from making public statements about his death or marital status, continuing instead to post about him on social media.

Zuma-Sambudla posted a statement from the Khubeka family, the maternal side of Ntshingila’s family, condemning the party’s instruction that she not attend the funeral. In the post, Zuma-Sambudla wrote: “Some Leaders Have Made It Their Full Time Job To Try And Deal With @NhlamuloNdhlela And I, Even In Our Time Of Grief. These Leaders Tried To Bar Us From Attending Muzi’s Memorial And Funeral, Threatening That We Would Be VIOLENTLY Removed If We Attend. Thank You To The Khubeka’s h We Have Been Standing On !! [sic]”

Nomvalo said that such actions constituted a “direct disregard” of organisational authority and deepened divisions within the party.

“Having carefully considered the seriousness, extent, and cumulative impact of the conduct outlined above, the national officials have resolved that Ms Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and Mr Nhlamulo Ndhlela have acted in a manner fundamentally inconsistent with the values, discipline, constitutional principles and organisational interest of the MK party,” he said.

“Accordingly, the MK party hereby announces the expulsion of Miss Dudu Zuma-Sambudla and Nhlamulo Ndhlela with immediate effect.”

No stranger to controversy

Zuma-Sambudla’s time within the party was marked by controversy. In 2025, she was charged with incitement to commit terrorism following her social media posts before and during the July 2021 riots, in which more than 300 people died. The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban heard that her posts “played a role” in the riots, with the State alleging that she used posts on her X account to “incite, encourage and support” acts of violence. Zuma-Sambudla pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In the same year, she was implicated in recruiting more than a dozen men aged between 20 and 39 from KwaZulu-Natal who were sent to Russia for what they believed would be security training but were conscripted into a paramilitary group and sent to fight in Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla and her associates were allegedly paid at least R14-million for recruiting the men. She resigned from her parliamentary position after criminal charges were laid against her.

Within the party, members have alleged that Zuma-Sambudla has benefited from nepotism and inconsistent disciplinary standards within the party. In particular, she posted insulting comments about then secretary-general Floyd Shivambu, referring to him as “the worst thing that happened to MK”, but did not face disciplinary action.

When she was instructed to apologise to Shivambu, she acknowledged her concerns should have been addressed through internal channels but did not apologise to Shivambu directly. Shivambu was demoted from the position in mid-2025 following his Easter weekend visit to disgraced pastor Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi.

On Thursday, Nomvalo told a media conference that the axing would stop the narrative that the MK party had been turned into “a family stokvel”.

“In the case of Miss Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the party has noted repeated public statements and social media publications that have undermined organisational unity, promoted factional narratives, publicly discredited recognised party leadership structures, challenged the legitimacy of party decisions, and brought internal organisational party matters into the public domain,” said Nomvalo.

Ndhlela’s removal also comes after he had announced an extensive 18-month study into internal organisational, ideological and strategic reviews.

“With regard to Mr Nhlamulo Ndhlela, the party has identified conduct that includes acting without proper organisational authority, convening and addressing media briefings without the approval of recognised party structures, misrepresenting party positions and structures, participating in activities outside authorised programmes and engaging in actions that have created confusion regarding official party processes and leadership arrangements,” said Nomvalo.

“These actions have contributed to divisions within the movement and have undermined confidence in the collective leadership of the organisation.”

MK confirms support for 30 June protests

During the press conference, Nomvalo affirmed that the party would be attending and participating in the upcoming 30 June protests against illegal immigration. The protests are led by March and March, whose leaders, including Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, have been publicly embraced by the MK party.

“While the MK party supports the 30 June protest action, it firmly calls on all participants to conduct themselves in a peaceful, disciplined and lawful manner. The party condemns any acts of violent intimidation, destruction of property, looting and criminality that may arise during the course of the march,” said Nomvalo.

“We urge all participants to respect the law, rights of others, and the authority of law enforcement agencies.”

The MK party and ActionSA have voiced their support for the upcoming protests. These comments stand in sharp contrast to the EFF and South African trade unions, which have condemned the protests and their leadership.

On 17 June, the trade union federations Cosatu, Fedusa, Saftu and Nactu released a statement urging their workers not to participate in the marches and warning them that they would not be protected if they chose to skip work to attend the protests. DM