Sara-Jayne Makwala King19 February 2025 | 11:39

MK Party: Mzwanele Manyi explains what really happened between John Hlophe and him

Jacob Zuma's party has denied the pair had a physical altercation over a recent speech given by the party's caucus leader.

MK Party: Mzwanele Manyi explains what really happened between John Hlophe and him

Mzwanele Manyi

Clement Manyathela is joined by the Chief Whip of the MK Party, Mzwanele Manyi.

Listen below:

This week, the MK Party's national officials and their National High Command (NHC) will convene to address the escalating internal conflicts within the party.

It's been a tumultuous couple of weeks for Jacob Zuma's party.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was forced to apologize for her social media tirades directed at Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu.

Then, the party was forced to deny that things had come to a head (and to blows) following a spat between two of the party's highest-ranking officials.

Caucus leader Dr John Hlophe, and chief whip Mzwanele Manyi, allegedly had a heated falling out over Hlophe's Sona day-one debate speech:

"There are some party members who are quite easy with doing their own speeches, but the quality control is the whippery."
Mzwanele Manyi, Chief Whip - MK Party
"I have about ten whips and we work together to make sure the quality is what is should be...[but] the final accountable person is the Chief Whip."
Mzwanele Manyi, Chief Whip - MK Party

Reports suggest Hlophe was furious when Manyi told him not to read his prepared speech and instead read one allegedly penned by party leader Jacob Zuma.

"If you read it you will see it is actually a good speech, it has all the elements...The issue that was there was that in the first part of the speech he was saying all the things that people did not want to hear."
Mzwanele Manyi, Chief Whip - MK Party

Manyi says Dr Hlophe's mere mention of Jacob Zuma was enough to cause MPs to heckle him.

"It was less about the quality of the speech and more about the rowdiness of ANC and DA members."
Mzwanele Manyi, Chief Whip - MK Party

The MK Party has denied the pair had a physical altercation.

'It is disingenuous to characterise internal party discussions as a “fight,” let alone a physical confrontation. Such distortions serve only to mislead the public and undermine the MK Party’s credibility and our principles of discipline', the party said in a statement on Friday.