The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has strongly condemned the recent decision by former party president Jacob Zuma to throw his support behind the new uMkhonto Wesizwe party. ANC KZN Secretary Bheki Mtolo, speaking on behalf of the Provincial Executive Committee, expressed the committee’s disapproval during a briefing on Monday following Zuma’s announcement on Saturday, December 16.
Mtolo characterized Zuma’s public endorsement of another political party as an unprecedented act of “gross ill-discipline” and likened it to divorcing the ANC. Despite the provincial ANC’s initial support for Zuma, which aimed to bolster its electoral prospects in the upcoming 2024 elections, the party has now distanced itself from the former president.
“We remain focused as the ANC in KZN, and we note comrade Msholozi’s assertion. We want to tell our people that we are still the ANC of 1994, nothing has changed,” Mtolo emphasized, highlighting the party’s commitment to its founding principles.
The provincial leadership, which had previously considered working with Zuma to enhance its chances in the elections, now believes that Zuma’s departure will not impact the ANC’s electoral success in 2024. Mtolo expressed optimism about the ANC’s ability to defend the province and contribute significantly to the defense of the revolution in South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to Zuma’s announcement during a briefing at Luthuli House, stating that everyone in the country is free to express their voting preferences. Ramaphosa refrained from engaging further on the matter.
Concerns were raised about the new party, uMkhonto Wesizwe, allegedly attempting to confuse voters by adopting the name of the ANC’s disbanded paramilitary wing, Umkhonto weSizwe. Mtolo criticized the new party, stating that it was a deliberate attempt to lure ANC members and voters by using a name associated with the historical MK.
The ANC has expressed intentions to challenge the new party in court, arguing that the name “uMkhonto Wesizwe” belongs to the ANC. Mtolo emphasized the importance of distinguishing between the new party and the original Umkhonto weSizwe, which was formed in 1961 as the armed wing of the ANC. He raised concerns about the new party’s recruitment practices, suggesting that it lacks the historical and organizational criteria of the original MK.