MKP leaders kiss and make up as ordered by party overlord Zuma

Assassination plot claimed by Mdluli against Phadi now a thing of the past

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Two senior MK Party leaders in Mpumalanga - Mary Phadi and General Tough Mdluli - have set aside months of animosity, including explosive allegations of an assassination plot, in a calculated bid to align with party founder Jacob Zuma's call for unity ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.

The pair, once locked in one of the party's most damaging internal disputes, appeared side by side at a press briefing in Mbombela this week, declaring an end to their feud.

The sudden show of unity follows pressure from Zuma, who reportedly warned provincial leaders that continued infighting could cost the party dearly at the local government polls.

The fallout between the two began in August 2024, when Mdluli, a staunch Zuma ally, opened a criminal case against Phadi, accusing her of plotting to assassinate him.

He claimed to have received death threats and submitted a sworn affidavit implicating Phadi in what he described as a “conspiracy to eliminate” him.