One-time ANC firebrand Tony Yengeni has joined the MK Party, where he will fill the newly created position of second deputy president.
Yengeni will share a position equivalent to that of John Hlophe, who also heads the party in Parliament.
In a statement, the party said that the new position would be used for “internal and broader political and organisational issues”, and to allow Hlophe to focus on his work in Parliament.
Zuma described Yengeni as: “A very serious and well-known comrade, a lawyer by profession — not just a lawyer, but one who speaks for the people. He is a serious lawyer who can handle all matters, regardless of where they come from.”
“You all know him because he’s a man who speaks,” Zuma added, “We’re giving him a job as a deputy president and as a leader in parliament.”
A veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle and the ANC’s armed wing, Yengeni was among the first cohort to enter Parliament in 1994, later rising to be the party’s Chief Whip. He was later charged with fraud and sentenced for obtaining a discount on a vehicle, in connection with the controversial arms procurement scandal. He served only four months of a four-year sentence.
He went on to support President Zuma and the “Radical Economic Transformation” faction, and became critical of President Ramaphosa’s leadership.
He was charged earlier this year with ill-discipline for criticising Ramaphosa.
[Image: By https://www.facebook.com/p/UMkhonto-Wesizwe-Party-61553534980959, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76207025]