Jacob Zuma dissolved the MK Party’s Presidential Task Team on 28 July 2026, replacing it with a new Strategic Presidential Team and naming his son, Duduzane Zuma, as the party’s first deputy president on 10 August 2026, a move that consolidates Zuma’s direct control over the party’s top structure, according to announcements and party documents.

Frequent Reshuffles And Centralised Authority

Since officially becoming MK Party leader in April 2024, Jacob Zuma has repeatedly reshuffled key positions, including naming Mpiyakhe Fanyana Limba treasurer-general in March 2025 after Dr. Thanti Mthanti’s resignation. Other roles such as secretary-general, deputy secretary-general, and chief whip have also seen changes driven by Zuma’s direct oversight, according to reports by The Citizen and IOL.

The shift from the Presidential Task Team to the Strategic Presidential Team marks the third major leadership overhaul in two years. The MK Party constitution grants the president broad authority to issue decrees on party governance, stating, “The president shall have the ultimate power to issue presidential decrees on any matter pertaining to operations, administration and policy direction of the party in the interests of the party.”

Significance For The MK Party And Its Supporters

Zuma’s leadership approach underscores his determination to maintain strong personal oversight. Speaking on recent changes, Zuma said, “I did say from the beginning that I do not want any people to be elected because it is a problem. But I left it because the comrades said, ‘Let’s do it’. Now the problem that I was trying to avoid is upon us. I wanted to do this alone and [be able to] say ‘you and you and you’, based on my knowledge of them…”

Analysts have noted Zuma’s strategy appears aimed at eliminating internal disputes and ensuring loyalty within the party’s top leadership. These developments come at a time when internal cohesion is seen as vital for the MK Party’s credibility in the national political arena. The appointment of Duduzane Zuma as first deputy president intensifies the focus on leadership continuity and centralised decision-making within the organisation.

The MK Party is expected to clarify the new leadership team’s priorities ahead of upcoming national policy conferences.