'I am a born again,' MK Party's Bonginkosi Khanyile says as he puts brakes on election threats

A month after the MK Party removed Bonginkosi Khanyile as interim youth leader when he threatened disruption of the May 29 elections, he says he is a changed man and has stopped making reckless comments inciting violence. 

“Sengizelwe ngokutsha [I have been born again, I have changed in character]. I no longer make inflammatory statements,” Khanyile told party supporters this week.

He posted a short video of his speech on Facebook as he slowly returns to the frontline of the party's campaign after he was stripped of his position on April 9. He deleted the short video on Wednesday afternoon and posted another in which he lifted the lid on some of the party's troubles. 

“We want wisdom and guidance from the mother body but they must not control the life and breeding of the youth league. Once I reject your advice you stop greeting me and go on WhatsApp to form a group saying to me: 'Your days are numbered, you do not listen to us, you are rude'. They said I won't finish two weeks and I am on my third week now and I've chased two people away,” Khanyile said.

“I will lead the youth league but I won't leave it in a messy state, damaged by old people. Here we have no friends and allies. No-one is irreplaceable in this organisation, including myself. No-one is born with a position, so when you are given a command, take command.” 

He accused elderly party members of attempting to influence the youth league. 

“Young people do not have NSFAS but people are plotting for conferences. Old people are calling us and telling us to appoint their friends because they are stalwarts of MK. We do not want those people,” Khanyile said.

Weeks before Khanyile's removal he slammed party members who wanted Jabulani Khumalo to be elected party president instead of Jacob Zuma.

“Some people are saying we will be led by Khumalo because Msholozi [Zuma] is too old. We will not allow that in MK [Party]. Zuma is perceived as old after he worked hard for the party which is now solid. We will not allow that. I say Khumalo will never lead this organisation while Msholozi is around.”

Khanyile was removed last month after MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said he and Visvin Reddy, charged for inciting violence, were given warnings for making “reckless” public statements. 

“Khanyile was out of order and we dealt with that and gave him a warning. Anyone in the party who utters or makes pronouncements of violence will be dealt with and we will expel them. Reddy, in the same way as Khanyile, has been issued a warning,” Ndhlela said. 

Khanyile, charged with incitement to violence in the July 2021 unrest, in March told reporters: “There will be no elections without MK and Zuma. If they remove MK and remove Zuma as the face of the campaign there won’t be elections in South Africa,” he said. 

“Let me repeat so that when we are arrested they can use this video as evidence in court. We mean what we say. What do we do with this military which they are going to unleash? The soldiers were defeated by the July unrest. Do you say you can stop MK?” 

Watch Khanyile's recent speech:

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