MK Party leadership: It was painful yet necessary for Zuma to fire van Rooyen

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leadership said it was a painful yet necessary decision for President Jacob Zuma to fire Des van Rooyen as the organisation's parliamentary chief whip less than a day into the job.

Van Rooyen was appointed to the position on Tuesday evening, replacing Colleen Makhubele.

But, on Wednesday night, Zuma's office released a statement nullifying that decision.

Lightening has struck twice for van Rooyen, the man with the unfortunate nickname of weekend special minister.

In December 2015, Zuma, the then State president, appointed van Rooyen as finance minister only to remove him from the post three days later.

MK Party's head of presidency Magasela Mzobe said Zuma’s latest decision to remove van Rooyen as chief whip after only a day was not easy, as the former president has a lot of respect and admiration for him.

"You can imagine how difficult it was for the president and the leadership because beside being a leader in the MK Party, comrade Des is a father, an uncle, a husband, brother and human being, so it was not easy to take this decision.

"But as a cadre of the movement, he will understand but when the organisation is confronted with a painful period like this unfortunately, he had to be a victim when he was responsible for not taking this decision. The party had to correct its processes."

As part of the fallout, the MK Party has suspended the organisation’s deputy president and parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, for ill-discipline, saying his decision to fire Makhubele and replace her with van Rooyen was done without consultation.

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