Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto Wesizwe party is unlikely to be affected at the polls by its expulsion of high-ranking members. However, allegations that it forged supporters' signatures could threaten the legitimacy of the elections.

With the national and provincial elections only 30 days away, fresh controversy has erupted around one of South Africa's newest and most headline-grabbing parties, former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto Wesizwe party (MK).

On Friday, 26 April, the party announced it had expelled five of its members, including Jabulani Khumalo, who registered the party with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) last year and was considered the party leader until Zuma threw his hat in the ring as the fledgling party's presidential hopeful.

The party said that a National Core Leadership meeting revealed that the MK party had been infiltrated by external forces who sought to destabilise it. As such, Khumalo was expelled alongside treasurer-general Rochelle Davidson, Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini and Lebo Moepeng.

Three of the expelled members were high on the party's election candidate list, with Jabulani Khumalo appearing second, Moepeng fourth and Davidson eighth.

The MK party did not reveal exactly what motivated the purge, but claimed it was in the name of "patriotic South Africans that want to see change".

"We urge all MK members to be disciplined and trust the leadership as we work towards gaining support for a campaign that will emancipate the downtrodden...