Jabulani Khumalo - Threats, a R14-m ransom & the battle for MKP…

In his latest interview with Chris Steyn, the real founder of MKP, Jabulani Khumalo, reveals threats to the actual directors of the “hijacked” party over a picket to distance themselves from the human trafficking of 19 men to Russia. “…our spokesperson… got a call…a threatening call…And also, the people on the ground were threatened when they wanted to go to that picket. They were blocked. We understand there were two GTIs in the vicinity and also X3s that were running around making sure that people do not go to the Legislature to picket.” While the trafficked men are now back in Russia from the Ukraine war zone, their return is being delayed by a ransom demand by an agent involved in the operation. “The last information we got was 14 million, but I was told last week that…it’s more than 14 million. So that's where the problem is now.” Khumalo also slams the violent conduct of MK members in the KZN Legislature, and the “stupidity” of Duduzile Zuma resigning from Parliament allegedly with the ambition of becoming the Premier of KZN. He hails the news that current Premier Thami Ntuli has endorsed Provincial Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term. “We need a man like him… to have that strong hand on the thugs.”.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here.Listen here.Edited transcript of the interview.Chris Steyn (00:01.527)A picket led by the real founders of MKP over those South Africans lured to Russia had to beHe's a spokesperson of Zuma and he must talk to Zuma and he must stop threatening our men. Because that means he's asking for war and he mustn't start that. And I must say, he mustn't start that. If he doesn't stop, we'll escalate it. He mustn't think that he's a God or something. I don't care who he is, but don't try me. Don't try my leadership. You will find the fire if you start to fire on my leadership. I will never allow such stupidity to happen to my leadership. He has threatened our men. We have noted that. He's a spokesperson of Zuma and he must talk to Zuma and he must stop threatening our men. Because that means he's asking for war and he mustn't start that. And I must say, he mustn't start that. If he doesn't stop, we'll escalate it. He mustn't think that he's a God or something. I don't care who he is, but don't try me. Don't try my leadership. You will find the fire if you start to fire on my leadership. I will never allow such stupidity to happen to my leadership. He has threatened our men. We have noted that. Jabulani Khumalo (00:23.596)Morning, Ma'am, and good morning to the viewers at home. Thank you for having me here on the studio.Chris Steyn (00:32.207)You're welcome, Tell us what the picket was going to be about. Please.Jabulani Khumalo (00:39.758)When we started to hear about this human trafficking that took place in the name of MKP, we started getting worried. Because of that, my colleagues, directors, started investigating these matters. They went as far as going to Durban to picket to show that what is happening in the name of MK should not be understood as if they say MK, real MK that is doing that. It's just that it's those who hijacked, MK, who have trafficked the people into Russia. We never agreed and we never...started this party to allow people to be human trafficked to another countries. What happened is that the directors and our people on the ground, we started picking up that these people were giving wrong information when they were recruited.They were told they are being hired by MK to go and train so they can come back and be the bodyguard of the leadership of the MK. When they got there, they found out that that is not what is happening. They went to that one week training, and then after that they were sent to a fight, which was not what they signed for. And also it must be indicated and be understood that the form that they signed, they never understood what was written there. It was a Russian language. They don't know anything about Russian language. So they were told to write what, write this, write this, and they write that and they put their signature without understanding what this means.Jabulani Khumalo (02:43.905)They only understood when they were on the ground, being soldiers, having to have a rifle on their hands for the first time, which the others have never seen even the gun, but to carry it and go into the bush, which is something they never learned.I traumatised them. So they started calling and they wanted us to assist because they understood that we are part and we are the directors of MKP. So that's when we started to say, no, let's get involved. So we can clear the name of the MKP that is only the hijackers individuals. It's not the MKP leaders. It's those individuals that hijack the party that wants to continuously engage themselves into wrong things where they can make money, quick cash out of trafficking these people. That's what they did. If you could remember even during the elections, these people have been doing these wrong things. They started by stealing the party through forgery. So this is the extent these hijackers would go to to get money, easy money for them to go on and do these wrong things because the government is not arresting them. We've given the information, but they are not getting arrested. That is why now they've trafficked the people to another country. And we're not seeing any action happening, except to say that the Minister of Foreign, what we call it, International Relations, he's working very hard to make sure that the people are coming back. We really appreciate his assistance. But what is happening with the SAPS?Jabulani Khumalo (04:43.297)What is happening with the NPA? They know this, that people were trafficked out of the country and bending the laws. So why? Because those people are known. We have got their names, they've got everything. What are they waiting for? We are saying those people must come back and South African law must take its course, must take steps… to these people because they are here, they are running around, and they do as if there is nothing wrong that has happened. They are not even sorry that they've taken so much of money. We hear different price number of amounts that they were given by this agent from Russia to get these people to Russia. So we are really worried that in South Africa, there are people that the country that can do whatever they want in the country without considering or obeying the laws of the country and the acts of the country. That's the reason why it is making no…Chris Steyn (05:47.621)Sir, please tell us about, sorry to interrupt you, sir. Please tell us about the threats that caused the picket to be abandoned. What happened exactly?Jabulani Khumalo (05:58.572)Yes, day, two days before the picket, one of our member who is our spokesperson… got a call from Nhlamulo Ndlela, a threatening call, not a nice call, a threatening call.Nhlamulo Ndlela believes that he's a spokesperson of the MKP, he's not. He's a spokesperson of that…tuck shop of Zuma called Umkhonto we Sizwe, not Umkontho we Sizwe Party. He must understand that he was in there because at the time we knew that the spokesperson… but he's no longer a member of ours, not a member of MKP. He's a spokesperson of Zuma and he must talk to Zuma and he must stop threatening our men.And also, the people on the ground were threatened when they wanted to go to that picketing. They were blocked. We understand there were two GTIs in the vicinity and also the X3s that were running around making sure that people do not go to the Legislature to picket. That's how stupid these people are. They can go to the extreme because they think they are god of this country. But one day I'm going to show them that they are very stupid and they are nothing. Nothing. They must understand that they are nothing.Jabulani Khumalo (08:14.305)They stole the party through forgery. The very same Nhalmulo and his friend Duduzile, they are the ones that made that signature on the letter that I never wrote. So today they're trying to think that we are afraid of them. I'm not. They must understand that if they want fire, they will get the fire.Chris Steyn (08:39.653)So can you tell us what amounts of money allegedly changed hands for these people with traffic?Jabulani Khumalo (08:49.665)Well, there are different amounts that we've been getting. There's 14 million, there's 100 million. So we're not sure which one is it, but we are getting to the bottom of it to find exactly how much was it. But we have investigated, and that money never went to any account of the MKP. We have never received it, but it was received by individuals. Those individuals, are very well known who they are, but the government is not acting on them.Chris Steyn (09:22.743)Are those 17 men the only people who've been trafficked that we know about.Jabulani Khumalo (09:30.402)Well according to information is 19 people that were trafficked. So the three people who don't know what has happened to them; there is no indication what happened to them. Now they are talking about 17. So, but since our men has managed to have this communication with the Russian people and this agent, I'm sure that we are now going to get the exact number of people that were trafficked out.Chris Steyn (10:01.613)I believe two of the men are wounded. Have you got any information on the condition of all these men?Jabulani Khumalo (10:09.673)Not yet. We are still talking to the people. Remember, this took about, it started about two weeks ago when our men started to talk to certain members in Russia. So we're hoping that the Russian people will give us the answers, not like what was happening with, what is this country.Chris Steyn (10:34.723)Ukraine.Jabulani Khumalo (10:35.565)Ukraine because they were not sure; they were not giving us the correct answers, but today we now know that the people have been brought back to Russia. So we are happy, we hope that they are now safe and they will be able to be taken back to the country.Chris Steyn (10:52.601)Have the parents had any communication with them?Jabulani Khumalo (10:58.433)The parents are communicating with their children. The wives are communicating with their husbands… They've got families, they've got kids, but they were separated with their families just because people wanted to benefit out of them. That communication is open and one of two of our members are part of those talks with their families and also the Russian people.Chris Steyn (11:26.669)And what are those boys/men saying?Jabulani Khumalo (11:33.836)Well, the messages they send are very, very bad. It saddening us to get such information because those people, are really worried. They have been calling to be called back to the country, but it has taken too long. But I'm hoping that now that the minister is...put his foot down to say these people must come back. He's doing his best. We are behind him. We are also pushing our side because these people in actual fact.I must be said that the agent wants his money; says I've paid to get these men here. So you must pay me my money, then I will release the people. So that's where the problem is now. Who is going to pay this money that was taken by these thugs who do not think about other people's lives? That's where the problem is.Chris Steyn (12:32.815)Do you know how much money are they demanding?Jabulani Khumalo (12:38.893)The last information we got was 14 million, but I was told last week that it's not 14 million, it's more than 14 million.Chris Steyn (12:48.441)that they demanding for the return of the men.Jabulani Khumalo (12:51.597)for the return of the menChris Steyn (12:54.147)Would it be possible to raise that amount of money?Jabulani Khumalo (12:59.699)I really don't know who can assist on this matter. But I am sure government to government, could be some ways that they can come up to. And then maybe we need to talk to these agents to be patient when we, whilst we're trying to find someone that can assist to pay them whatever it is, even if it's not a full amount. They must understand this was a wrong move, this was a wrong way to do things. They also are part of the wrongdoing. So they can't be forcing us to pay the full ransom because we were not part of it. They know they didn't do this thing in the right way.Chris Steyn (13:47.461)Sir, do you think Duduzile resigned as an MP from Parliament over this or because she has ambitions to play a central role in provincial government eventually?Jabulani Khumalo (14:02.293)Where do you know how stupid these people are? She resigned from Parliament to think that she can be a Premier of KZN. That stupidity. I really don't know who supported that thing. If those people were in their right mind because you can take a failure and bring it to the province to finish the province, to kill the province. In actual fact, as directors, we're saying the reason why there was that chaos in the Legislature is because the people that are there were not part of the people that were elected to participate in that legislature. There are people that were in the list that were moved out and certain individuals were brought in and those people do not have demanded to be there. That's why they're doing what they are doing like children, like creché young men, young boys, young girls rushing after the food. That chaos was totally a mess and stupidity. We can't have leadership that does that.And there is no action that was taken against them. If you want to fight a fight, the cause, you can do it correctly. They went to court, this court, they went to the Parliament and asked for the removal of Mr. Ntuli. That was a good, a right way to do it. But for them to stand up and then mishandled the Speaker and all of that. That was a total mess. We cannot say those are men that can lead this country or lead our province in perfect. In KZN it needs real men, needs real people who understand, who has the mind, who thinks better.Jabulani Khumalo (16:07.179)…who doesn't think with their… I don't know what we can call that stupidity that happened in the legislature, but that was stupidity.Chris Steyn (16:16.261)What else is happening behind the scenes in MKP, Sir, that you can tell us about?Jabulani Khumalo (16:24.365)Well, as MKP leaders, the founders and directors, we have engaged on a programme and we are going to be going province by province and we'll be launching the structures on the ground. We are coming. I hear that they are saying we want to do that. Let them see. We will come. We'll do it. They've got a short time to be there to steal our money. Very soon they will be paying back that money. All of them, all those that threw themselves into the party, they are going to pay it. And we are not going to pay for anyone who are there, who are coming.Chris Steyn (17:12.207)When will you be back in court again?Jabulani Khumalo (17:16.927)Very soon, Man. Very soon. Very soon.Chris Steyn (17:18.885)So the legal battle to regain control of the party will soon resume.Jabulani Khumalo (17:26.38)YesChris Steyn (17:28.837)Well, Sir, in good news, I see that the premier has endorsed another term for the police chief, General MkhwanaziJabulani Khumalo (17:42.049)That's a great one. If that has happened, it is a great one. We will appreciate that. We need a man like him and other men to have that strong hand on the thugs. Otherwise, our country will be run by these thugs.Chris Steyn (18:04.015)Thank you. That was Mr. Jabulani Khumalo, the real founder of MKP. Speaking to BizNews, I'm Chris Steyn. Thank you, Sir.Jabulani Khumalo (18:12.897)Thank you so much,

Jabulani Khumalo - Threats, a R14-m ransom & the battle for MKP…

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