By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Members of South Africa’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, a political movement founded by the former President, Jacob Zuma, have been sworn-in as lawmakers in parliament after boycotting the first sitting of the National Assembly nearly two weeks ago.
MK lawmakers had stayed away on June 14 during inauguration after filing a complaint at the country’s top court calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa not to be sworn-in over alleged rigging of the May 29 election that gave him a second term in office.
The constitutional court has since dismissed the suit as without merit.
MK came a surprisingly strong third in the election in which the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority.
MK has declined to join a government of national unity.
All of its 58 lawmakers, including Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, took the oath, allowing parliament’s lower house to start its business.
Among them were former finance minister Des van Rooyen, appointed by Zuma in 2015 and then dismissed after four days.
Pravin Gordhan was appointed as a replacement when the rand currency collapsed.
Another prominent MK member – former Western Cape judge president John Hlophe, impeached by the previous parliament for misconduct, including for using his position to try to influence judges in a Zuma corruption case, was also sworn in.
MK is part of a broader coalition of smaller opposition parties that has lost traction as many gravitate towards the ANC and Democratic Alliance-led coalition government which has the collaboration of 10 parties so far.
