It was only a matter of time before former president Jacob Zuma turned to good old pal Des van Rooyen for a different role in his new party.
In a late Tuesday night shake-up, the former minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs and minister of finance was made the new chief whip in parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
Van Rooyen, tagged the “Weekend Special” for his four-day tenure as finance minister, replaced Colleen Makhubele – appointed to the position in May, following the removal of Mzwanele Manyi.
Van Rooyen becomes the fourth chief whip for MK in just over a year since the party surprised at the 2024 general elections.
ALSO READ: MK party appoints Des Van Rooyen as new chief whip in parliament
It’s hard to keep track of who is in and who is out at the party, with changes the norm, rather than the exception.
In a statement, the MK party insisted it had “full confidence that under his stewardship as chief whip, the parliamentary caucus will be strengthened, disciplined and more strategically aligned with the party’s historic mission of completing the total liberation of the South African people”.
It added “the new leadership in parliament will enrich the work of the caucus, sharpen its political focus and enhance its ability to represent the will of the people without compromise.”
Don’t expect anything special from this move, other than it lasting longer than Van Rooyen’s tenure as finance minister.
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