Former president Jacob Zuma has appointed his son, Duduzane Zuma, as the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s First Deputy President, elevating him to the second-highest position in the party as part of a sweeping leadership shake-up that has once again reshaped the organisation’s top brass.
The appointment immediately sparked debate across the political spectrum, with critics questioning whether the move signals succession planning within the party, while supporters argue Zuma is simply placing trusted figures in key positions ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Duduzane replaces Dr John Hlophe, who has been relieved of his duties as First Deputy President but remains the MK Party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly. Veteran politician Tony Yengeni has been confirmed as the party’s Second Deputy President.
The reshuffle did not stop there. Former police minister Nkosinathi “Nathi” Nhleko was removed as the party’s national chairperson and replaced by Reverend Phakathi. Nomsa Dlamini was relieved of her duties as deputy secretary-general, with Lindiwe Mtshali taking over the position. Former KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu was appointed to the Presidency Collective to provide strategic and organisational advice while continuing as the party’s provincial leader in KwaZulu-Natal. Zuma also dissolved the Strategic Presidential Team and reinstated the Presidential Task Team under his direct leadership, while lifting a moratorium affecting the party’s finances, administration and communications.
In announcing the changes, Zuma said the decisions were intended to strengthen the party.
“The President of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party has announced a series of organisational decisions aimed at strengthening the Party, enhancing its effectiveness and consolidating its structures as it continues to serve the people of South Africa,” the party said in a statement issued under Zuma’s authority.
Zuma also addressed reports of a forensic investigation linked to the party, saying he had neither received nor reviewed the report and instructed that it, together with all supporting documentation, be submitted to him before any decisions are taken.
The latest reshuffle adds to a growing list of leadership changes that have become a hallmark of the MK Party since its formation in late 2023. Over the past two years, the party has seen several senior officials removed, reassigned or replaced as Zuma has repeatedly reconfigured the organisation’s leadership structures in an effort to consolidate control and prepare the party for its next electoral test.
For Duduzane Zuma, the appointment marks his highest political office to date. For everyone else, it has reignited one of South Africa’s favourite political debates: when it comes to the Zuma family, is politics a calling, a legacy… or simply a family business?
