Case of 10 MK Party members seeking reinstatement as MPs resumes in court

CAPE TOWN - The case of ten uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party members who are seeking reinstatement as parliamentarians has resumed in the Western Cape High Court. 

This followed an unexpected pause earlier on Tuesday, pending a possible out-of-court settlement. 

But after the lunch break, the lawyer for the applicants, Simba Chitando, informed the court that no agreement could be reached during the pause. 

They’ve approached the court on an urgent basis to stop Parliament from swearing in any replacements, claiming they’ve been unlawfully dismissed.

MK Party lawyer, Nikiwe Nyathi, said talks to reach a settlement with the disgruntled group who were axed last month had been ongoing since last week. 

The court heard that party leader, Jacob Zuma, and his deputy, John Hlophe, had given lawyers instructions to settle out of court. 

But in the absence of reaching a deal, proceedings are now continuing, with Chitando arguing the applicants and their dependents will be left destitute if they are forced out of parliamentary accommodation.

He further said that it was inexplicable that Zuma himself was afforded a disciplinary hearing by his former party, the African National Congress (ANC), but that his own members in the MK Party would not be afforded the same opportunity. 

Chitando said that if the ten applicants were prohibited from performing parliamentary duties, it would impact the role the official opposition party plays in a democracy.