10 expelled MK Party MPs to appeal court judgment dismissing reinstatement application

CAPE TOWN - Ten expelled uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party members of Parliament (MPs) say they will appeal a High Court judgment dismissing an urgent application for an interdict to be reinstated to their jobs. 

They said their lives have been threatened since the impasse with the party, which said they defied an instruction not to go to Parliament to be sworn in, in June.

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The court dismissed their application, saying they had not shown reasonable apprehension of irreparable harm, nor that there’s no alternative remedy available to them. 

The expelled MPs said the MK Party reached out to their lawyer a week before their case was due to be heard last week - with an offer to reinstate them. 

The spokesperson for the group, Thami Khuzwayo, said lawyers were instructed to prioritise settlement talks and to keep the matter out of court. 

“We were happy because we didn’t want this matter to be in court to begin with. We were just going there because we wanted to seek justice.”

Khuzwayo alleges MK Party lawyer Dali Mpofu and party MP Duduzile Zuma scuppered the finalisation of the settlement.

“Some delaying tactics have had a very significant effect on the way our advocate represented us. Also, we feel the process was unfair because of that.”

Khuzwayo said aside from the appeal, the group will continue to pursue a review of the process that led to their dismissal.