MK Founder to lead delegation to Parliament

Khumalo told Jacaranda FM News on Tuesday morning that he plans on begin part of the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday morning when members of Parliament will be sworn in, despite the MK Party maintaining that their elected members will not be there.

"No i am not the only one going to Parliament. There are others that have been nominated as well that are going to Parliament. I think almost 50 people will be going to Parliament," said Khumalo. 

This after Parliament cancelled flights and accommodation for the 58 MK party members elected to Parliament after the party announced they would boycott the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday morning. 

The decision was made after the party indicated that its members will not be attending the first sitting after the elections, which is set to elect a new president.

MK wants the opening of Parliament to be delayed until its grievances against the election results are resolved in court.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says that since all MK members will not be travelling for the first sitting, the legislature decided to cancel their flights and accommodation.

"Because the first sittings of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will take place physically, the parliamentary administration is in the process of making arrangements to provide travel and accommodation for all members listed by the IEC, as handed over by the chief justice, to attend these sittings and the associated onboarding activities scheduled in Cape Town.

"In light of the MK party's expressed decision, through their legal representatives, not to attend the first sitting, Parliament has cancelled all arrangements for accommodation and flights for the party's elected members. 

"This measure is to avoid incurring fruitless and wasteful expenditure," says Mothapo.

However, Khumalo said the party's members of Parliament will be present for their swearing in on the designated date.

"The purported MK communication to the effect that Parliament is not constituted based on the absence of 58 MK members of parliament is misguided in law and frankly embarrassing.

"The true leader of MK, being myself, does not agree with it. Parliament has been constituted with 400 members as at the confirmation of 400 elected members following the elections."

Khumalo added that should any MK member of parliament not avail themselves for understandable fear of victimisation by (MK Party President Jacob Zuma] Zuma and his clique, will not in itself be basis for parliament not to continue with its business of swearing in members of Parliament and continue with its scheduled business on the date chosen by the Chief Justice.

"Zuma will not continue to abuse our democratic processes, the will of the people and continue to undermine our Parliament and other constitutional institutions such as our courts and not least their leader, Chief Justice.

I confirm that I, on behalf of MK, accept the results as pronounced by the independent Electoral Commission and no amount of staple conspiracy theories by Zuma will collapse this nation."

Khumalo added in his interview with Jacaranda FM News that he does not want the party's elected members to be drawn into the battle between Zuma and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"There is no-one that said they don't want to go to Parliament, it's just Zuma's group that wants people to do as they please. These people forget that Zuma has had his chance in Parliament. Now people are busy listening to what he has to say.

All I am saying is that the voters want for us to go to Parliament and stand up for them and that is what these party members must do. We must not interfere in whatever the issues are between Zuma and Ramaphosa."