South African Rainbow Alliance (Sara) founder and former Speaker of Council in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Colleen Makhubele has joined the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), after resigning from Sara.

In a statement, Makhubele said she had decided to join the MKP, led by former President Jacob Zuma, describing the party as the one that will steer South Africa into the future, “bringing about constructive transformation and advancement in African society”.

The MKP expressed confidence in Makhubele, who it said would confidently defend the revolution and work tirelessly to help the party in “achieving economic freedom and rightfully return [of] land to the people”.

Makhubele was previously the Chair of Chairs at the CoJ Council, as well as chairperson of the board of Metropolitan Trading Company at the CoJ under the Department of Economic Development, and served as chairperson of the board and nonexecutive director of the South African Post Office.

The MKP said Makhubele’s “sheer brilliance and tenacity” of championing the revolution and “unapologetically” standing up what is fair meshes with the new era the party is chartering.

The party has also welcomed members from the Economic Freedom Fighters and African National Congress.