The uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s (MKP) Mpumalanga provincial chairperson and former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has opened a criminal case with the Bronkhorstspruit SAPS, alleging that her life is in danger.
A leaked audio recording has revealed a deepening turf war within the MKP’s provincial structures.
In the recording, suspended provincial secretary Abednico Mkhatshwa allegedly threatened a party member, accusing her of being an “askari” – a term commonly used to describe a spy or a double agent.
“She is killing us. I’ve never seen such an askari,” he is heard saying, reportedly on his way home from an “after tears” gathering for a MK member who had passed away.
“We are dying. The tyre must burn! I’m chasing Mkhwebane. I’m going to burn her… Burn her! The organisation will be free,” Mkhatshwa can be heard in the audio.
Mkhwebane is concerned that these threats are more than just rhetoric.
She has expressed concern to the party and the media, saying it was “with a heavy heart but resolute in spirit” that she was dealing with “a malicious audio recording circulated by the Mpumalanga Provincial Secretary, Abednego Mkhatshwa, wherein he issues direct assassination threats against my life and fabricates outrageous lies to tarnish my reputation.”
Mkhatshwa did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Wednesday, however, according to media reports, he said that the audio was taken out of context and meant metaphorically.
He further brushed off the incident, saying, “you know how after-tears can be.”
He suggested the conversation, which occurred after Mkhwebane’s associates allegedly insisted on a sleepover in Bronkhorstspruit, was a “trap”.
“It was very late and Mkhwebane’s people insisted that we be driven to Bronkhorstspruit for a sleepover. It was already in the early hours of the next day when this happened. We agreed, not knowing it was a trap,” Mkhatshwa was reported as saying.
He maintained that the words “burn” or “kill” were never meant literally within their comrade circles. “You can ask around — when we say ‘lo ngiyamushisa’, it means I’m going to spill the beans on them. That’s like killing their career,” he explained.
Despite his explanations, the MKP’s Mpumalanga provincial leadership took swift action.
Mkhatshwa and MK convener Charles Nkuna were suspended last week, following an “extended detachment meeting” in Mbombela.
Mkhatshwa’s suspension letter cited his “series of defiance and disregard of the Mpumalanga Provincial Detachment” and “failure to execute your duties since appointment.” It also referenced a recording in which he “cast a series of aspersions” and made an “unprecedented threat to burn the Mpumalanga Provincial Chairperson alive.”
Political Analyst Metjie Makgoba said as Mkhwebane navigates this precarious political terrain, her decision to open a criminal case underscores the seriousness with which she views the threats.
“The incident not only exposes the deep fissures within the MKP in Mpumalanga but also reignites public scrutiny of Mkhwebane’s own political journey.
“Following a contentious period as Public Protector, she joined the EFF. That venture proved unsuccessful, leading her to join her husband in the MKP, where difficulties also appear to be emerging.”
He added that the outcome of the police investigation and the ongoing internal party dynamics will undoubtedly shape the future of the MKP in the province.
