MK Party chief whip Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi has been suspended from the party.

• MK Party suspended chief whip Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi pending an internal corruption investigation following her arrest.
• She allegedly collected R200 000 from researchers, claiming the money was for Jacob Zuma’s legal costs.
• Philasande Mkhize has been appointed as the new chief whip with immediate effect.

The MK Party has suspended its chief whip, Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, “with immediate effect”, pending an internal corruption investigation.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the party said Mokoena-Zondi’s suspension followed a meeting between party president Jacob Zuma and national party officials.

“Ms Mokoena-Zondi has been instructed to hand over all party documents, records, assets, and any other party-related materials in her possession with immediate effect,” it read.

Mokoena-Zondi was arrested last week and appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges.

She allegedly collected money from party researchers ostensibly for Zuma’s legal costs.

READ | MK Party chief whip granted R30k bail in fraud case related to Zuma’s ‘legal costs’

The allegations are that between August and December 2024, Mokoena-Zondi headhunted and recruited four researchers for the party and later demanded that they pay her 50 to 60% of their salaries.

According to the Hawks, she collected R200 000 from the researchers under the pretext that the money was for Zuma’s legal fees.

She was released on R30 000 bail.

In her defence, Mokoena-Zondi, in an affidavit, said she did not collect the money to enrich herself and that the four individuals voluntarily contributed to the “initiative” intended to support Zuma’s Nkandla homestead.

READ | I didn’t ‘enrich myself’: Fraud-accused MK chief whip says R200k was for Zuma’s Nkandla home

In the statement announcing her suspension, the MK Party said Mokoena-Zondi had been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations of corruption.

The party announced Philasande Mkhize as its new chief whip “effectively immediately”.

Mokoena-Zondi had been chief whip since February.

Meanwhile, the MK Party, without any context, stated that Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, was an ordinary member of the party.

“Her role is limited to that of an ordinary party member, and she does not exercise any authority on behalf of the party,” it said.