‘They turned Zuma against me’: Nomvalo levels explosive claims against MK leaders - IOL

Former MK Party secretary-general Sibonelo Nomvalo has accused senior party figures of feeding Jacob Zuma fabricated intelligence reports in a campaign he claims was aimed at securing his removal.

Former uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party secretary-general Sibonelo Nomvalo has accused senior party figures of repeatedly feeding Jacob Zuma fabricated intelligence reports and false allegations in an effort to turn the party president against him and secure his removal.

Nomvalo made the allegations during a media briefing on Friday, seven days after he was removed as secretary-general and from the party's National Assembly caucus.

He claimed that his removal on October 22, 2026  was the culmination of several attempts to discredit him, including allegations that he was working with former health minister Zweli Mkhize, former MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu and President Cyril Ramaphosa to undermine Zuma.

Nomvalo named national chairperson Mxolisi Phakathi, former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, head of presidency Lindelani Mbambo and Sizwe Zuma among those he accused of being involved in efforts to have him removed.

He said he had received information from confidential sources about 40 minutes before Mbambo sent him the removal decision on WhatsApp that the group was drafting letters to remove him as secretary-general and as a member of Parliament.

“Notwithstanding the above, I was not shocked by this decision. If anything, it is something I've always been expecting to witness at any time. My mind was long prepared for this,” he said.

Nomvalo outlined six reports which he claimed had been submitted to Zuma to portray him as disloyal to the party.

The first allegedly accused him of being an agent of Mkhize, claiming the former minister had bought his car and paid for his security personnel.

Nomvalo rejected the claims, saying he had never had a relationship with Mkhize and did not even have his telephone number.

He said he gathered bank statements, legal documents and other evidence before requesting a meeting with Zuma, Deputy President Tony Yengeni and former KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu to address the allegations.

The second report allegedly accused him of working with Shivambu to organise an MK Party national policy conference aimed at removing Zuma.

Nomvalo denied this, saying his only interaction with Shivambu had been during the latter's time as secretary-general, when they met at the Premier Hotel in uMhlanga.

He said the policy conference was subsequently cancelled.

Another report allegedly accused him of using party money to buy cattle. Nomvalo said a photograph of him standing in a kraal, which had been used to support the allegation, was taken in 2024 but showed cattle he had bought in 2023 while practising as an attorney.

He also rejected claims that he and party treasurer-general Brian Molefe had paid R20 million to Birchwood Hotel for a policy conference that did not take place.

He said they produced bank statements and a contract with the hotel to disprove the allegation. He added that the report had led to the establishment of the Strategic Presidential Team (SPT), which Zuma later disbanded.

A further report allegedly accused him of plotting to kill SPT members during a strategic workshop at Birchwood.

Nomvalo said he was devastated by the allegation and left a meeting where the matter was discussed to seek legal advice from advocate Dali Mpofu.

The sixth report allegedly portrayed him as an agent of Ramaphosa, an accusation he dismissed, saying he had barely interacted with the president.

Nomvalo also accused Phakathi and Gumede of making a series of false allegations to Zuma after he instructed party structures to establish deployment committees.

He said the national officials had given him a mandate to instruct structures to establish the committees and that he had consulted the first deputy president before sending the instruction.

According to Nomvalo, the allegations presented to Zuma included claims that he had fired eight parliamentary employees, interfered with candidate lists, taken money from ANC members to sabotage the MK Party and established deployment committees to place ANC members in municipal councils.

He denied the claims, saying he had no involvement in the candidate-list process and that those appointed by Zuma to manage it were better placed to explain what had happened.

He also disputed the claim that parliamentary employees had lost their jobs because of him, saying the matter concerned a decision by the chief whip to change the party's whip.

Nomvalo further alleged that AI-generated images, including one depicting him receiving an envelope from Ramaphosa, had been shown to Zuma to support claims that he was working with the ANC.

He said the allegations were intended to speed up his removal and claimed that Mbambo had since blocked his access to Zuma, preventing him from presenting his side of the story.

“I've been refused an opportunity to do an official handover,” he said.

Nomvalo said he was not angry with Zuma, but with those he accused of taking advantage of the president's age and influencing him through false information.

“I'm extremely angry at people who take advantage of his age at the expense of the party,” he said.

The MK Party announced Nomvalo's removal on October 22. The party cited concerns relating to candidate selection, deployment committees, parliamentary changes, internal factionalism, campaign-material delays and possible dual remuneration.

IOL previously reported on tensions surrounding the party's candidate-selection process, including protests in Durban by members who alleged that candidate lists had been manipulated.

Nomvalo also raised allegations of financial misconduct within the organisation, claiming that no less than R3 million a month had been moved from party accounts.

He said he had called the briefing to defend his integrity and inform party members about what he believed was happening within the organisation, rather than to fight for reinstatement.

“You can take away your party position, your position in parliament, and your membership, but please leave my integrity alone. At least don't destroy it by lies,” he said.

Nomvalo also announced the establishment of the Sibonelo Nomvalo Foundation, which he said would undertake community outreach initiatives with former eThekwini regional secretary Zanele Makhanya and other colleagues.