Johannesburg - The African National Congress (ANC) caucus in parliament on Sunday confirmed the resignation of MP Zukile Luyenge from the governing party.
Luyenge, who had previously left the United Democratic Movement for the ANC, is now a member of the African Transformation Movement. ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said a replacement for Luyenge would be announced soon.
''In light of this development, we will write to the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly informing her that Luyenge is no longer a member of the ANC, therefore immediately forfeiting his seat as an ANC MP.
"The ANC is currently processing his replacement and will make an announcement in this regard at an appropriate time,'' Mthembu said in a statement.
The ATM, led by a group of church leaders sympathetic to former president Jacob Zuma, was formed in October last year. The party recently welcomed Zuma loyalist and former government spin doctor Mzwanele ''Jimmy'' Manyi to its fold. In a radio interview, Manyi said the ANC was ''tired and old'' and that the ATM had more members than the governing party. Luyenge is from the former Transkei region in the Eastern Cape.