Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is Among the 58 MK Members Sworn in as MPs

Picture courtesy: (Phando Jikelo/GCISANC) member Zizi Kodwa, with members of the MK party being sworn in as members of Parliament on Tuesday.

(The Post News)- Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on Tuesday along with other uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party members.

Zuma-Sambudla was sworn in alongside other MK members, including former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, Andile Mngxitama, and Des Van Rooyen.

Zuma and 58 other MK-elected members boycotted the first sitting of the National Assembly about two weeks ago.

MK Party MPs missed the first swearing-in ceremony on June 14 after filing a complaint at the Supreme Court alleging voter fraud in the May 29 election.

The court dismissed the complaint as baseless.

Zuma’s party came in a surprisingly strong third place in the election, the ANC lost its parliamentary majority, and MK has refused to take part in a government of national unity.

MK MPs include former cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Des van Rooyen, who was appointed finance minister by President Zuma in 2015 and was replaced by Pravin Gordhan four days later as the rand weakened.

Also attending the swearing-in was EFF member and former public defender Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who is facing prosecution over her fitness to hold public office.

She was there to support her husband, David Skosana, who has taken up a seat as an MK Party MP.

Other notables included the ANC’s corruption-accused former minister, Zizi Kodwa.

Hlophe is anticipated to be announced as the MK party’s whip chief in the National Assembly.

The former Western Cape judge president was accused by the previous parliament of misconduct, including using his position to influence judges in Zuma’s corruption cases.

“The fact that we are partaking in the National Assembly should not be construed as an indication we have abandoned the legal actions. We are convinced that the elections were falsified; that is our case, and the case has been taken to the right forums,” Hlophe said on Tuesday.

He added that the MK party wants to challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa in parliament, stating that the ANC is no longer the party they once knew, especially under Ramaphosa’s leadership.

“This is not the ANC that is fighting for the poor and the landless. It’s a different ANC,” said Hlophe.

Hlophe also said Zuma, who did not take his parliamentary seat to keep his presidential salary, would remain the party leader.

MK is part of a wider coalition of smaller opposition parties that lost, as many have gravitated towards the ANC and DA-led coalition government, which includes 10 parties so far.