MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela defends Hlophe's resignation Picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Dr John Hlophe, the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MKP) Party in Parliament, withdrew from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) following an intense dispute over the commission's decision to proceed with interviews which were scheduled for Monday.
“The MK Party will not allow the name of Dr. John Hlophe to be associated with or used to legitimise a patently misleading, fraudulent, and improperly constituted Judicial Service Commission,” the party stated.
In a recent interview on Newsroom Afrika, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, spokesperson for the MKP, addressed the ongoing tensions between the judiciary and parliamentary processes.
He stressed the importance of challenging the current system.
"It is important that we challenge the system and that's what we are doing. We can't allow courts to interfere in parliamentary processes," he said.
Ndhlela criticised the judiciary for overstepping its boundaries, stating that courts should focus on ensuring citizens abide by the law, rather than questioning the legitimacy of parliamentary actions.
"We are lawmakers; courts are supposed to oversee the implementation of the law accordingly," he said, emphasising the need to expose issues surrounding the separation of powers.
He further criticised the timing of a recent court judgment that compelled Parliament to act while in recess, labelling it a failure of responsibility on the part of the judiciary.
"It was logistically impossible for Parliament to sit and preside over this matter because we were in recess," he explained, noting that the judgment came just a week before the scheduled sitting.
Regarding Hlophe's withdrawal, Ndlela clarified that this does not signify an abandonment of their legal applications.
“His resignation does not mean we are abandoning the application of Part B as per the Democratic Alliance (DA) application. His resignation was not him wanting to blemish his name on the back of a process that is not representative of the people's will.”
He raised concerns about the rationale of participating in a process that does not allow for meaningful engagement.
"Must he continue to allow his name to be associated with the process that he is questioning and can't participate in? It doesn’t make sense."
In response to DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau’s assertion that Hlophe’s resignation was a “cheap political stunt,” Ndlela firmly countered.
"Coming from racist spoilt brats, please, who is the DA? The DA are just racist spoilt brats who lost a vote when Hlophe was voted in democratically within Parliament."
Looking ahead, Ndlela expressed confidence in the MKP's strategy.
Speaking on terms of fielding someone else beside Hlophe, Ndhlela said that determination will be made at the right time.
‘’We will communicate that with South Africa. We always have a strategy, and we will win."
Hlophe remains the parliamentary leader of the MKP and the leader of the official opposition, he said.
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