The uMkhonto weSizwe Party wants Jacob Zuma back in office despite the Constitution barring this. (Photo by Fani Mahuntsi/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party looks set to test the electoral waters ahead of this year’s national and provincial vote, by fielding candidates in the next round of municipal by-elections due to be held on 14 February.
The party, founded by former ANC president and head of state Jacob Zuma and his supporters on 16 December, has until Monday, 22 January to register candidates for the by-elections.
Thus far the party is understood to be discussing fielding candidates in Pongola ward 2 and Newcastle ward 11 in KwaZulu-Natal and ward 25 in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, all of which fall in areas where the former president has strong support.
While some individuals had been identified to stand as councillors, there was still discussion taking place this week as to which wards to contest.
It is not clear whether candidates would be put up in the other municipalities in which wards will be contested next month — such as Nala in the Free State, Madibeng in North West and Theewaterskloof and George in the Western Cape.
MK KwaZulu-Natal coordinator Simphiwe Mpungose said the party would make a formal statement about the by-elections and others set to take place because of the resignation of councillors.
The party has stated its intention to contest the national and provincial elections and to participate in a broad coalition of like-minded parties should they manage to unseat the ANC later this year.
Zuma is being punted as their presidential candidate, but the Constitution states that he cannot do so, having already served two terms as South Africa’s head of state.
Zuma is also barred courtesy of his criminal record after being sentenced to 15 months in jail, without the option of a fine, for contempt of court over his refusal to return to the Zondo commission that investigated state capture, to be cross-examined on his evidence in chief.
In an interview with the Mail & Guardian MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said there had been a discussion with the party’s alliance partners on whether Zuma should stand as president for this year’s elections.
“The people want president Zuma to be the face; religious leaders are consulting MK in terms of who should actually lead. That is a decision that will be taken and will be announced in due course,” Ndhlela said.
“At this point, I can’t give you a straight answer until that decision has been taken and that announcement has been made otherwise I’d be flouting the discipline of the party.”
The former president’s face already appears on MK T-shirts, suggesting that supporters of the party would support Zuma as the candidate for president.
But Ndhlela downplayed this, saying people were allowed to put Zuma on their T-shirts because of the love they had for him.
“President Zuma is campaigning for the MK party and of course people will want to take T-shirts and print them with President Zuma’s face with the logo of the MK party and there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.
Ndhlela said the party was confident it would receive the necessary two-thirds majority to amend the constitutional law section barring the head of state from being in office for more than two terms.
According to chapter 5, Section 83 to 102 of the Constitution, “no person may hold office as president for more than two terms, but when a person is elected to fill a vacancy in the office of president, the period between that election and the next election of a president is not regarded as a term.”
Ndhlela said because Zuma did not legally complete his term of office, he would be eligible to stand as leader of the country and also as leader of the party.
“Zuma was ousted prematurely. Whose constitution are we referring to? If the people choose Zuma to be president, then we will have to change this constitution to represent the people who will vote us into power. If the people want Zuma to be a leader then the constitution will be amended,” he said.
Registration?
On Tuesday, the ANC approached the Durban high court to set aside the registration of the MK Party and prevent it from using the image of the ANC’s former armed wing uMkhonto weSizwe.
Despite the ruling party’s litigation to stop Zuma and others from using the MK name, logo and other paraphernalia on the grounds that they belong to the ANC, Ndhlela said his party believed it would be successful in its quest to have the MK split from the ANC.
“As far as we are concerned, those papers by the ANC are unfounded, frivolous and misguided. We find it strange that they have been sleeping on duty for the past 20 years and all of a sudden they get an epiphany to wake up when president Zuma declares that he will be voting with the MK,” he said.
“This is a clear indication that they are fearful of what is coming their way. We are not concerned about the case, which we view as being weak. The trademark issue is also not a concern to us.”
Ndhlela did not divulge who the party’s second-in-command would be, but said it was looking at prospective candidates to form part of the leadership.
“We are busy consolidating the list of members we want to represent us in parliament, and that will be shared in due time,” he said, adding that the MK Party would continue discussions with “like-minded and progressive parties”.
“We are always open to discussion with other parties that share the same values but no decision has been taken. If any decision is taken we will communicate these but right now none have been taken.”
The MK Party made its public debut in Soweto on December 16, Reconciliation Day. The day also marked the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of the ANC’s armed wing in 1961.
During the launch, Zuma declared his withdrawal from supporting a Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC, emphasising his allegiance to the newly registered party. But Zuma reiterated his continued membership in the ANC.
The MK Party’s official registration on 7 September 2023 was facilitated by Jabulani Sibongiseni Khumalo, according to a letter provided by ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula.
Since then the former president has continued with his verbal attacks on Ramaphosa and the ANC leadership in public appearances in KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere.
Zuma has expressed his intention to “come back” after what he says was a “premature” recall from office by the ANC, which removed him as president in February 2018.
An ANC national executive committee member said that discussing Zuma in the NEC would be a waste of time because he had already expelled himself from the party by forming another political party.
“Why should we discuss Zuma? Zuma is an opposition; we must address him in public like we address every opposition party,” the NEC member said.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema predicted that the MK Party would not grow as fast as it hoped.
“Zuma is in denial and veterans of the ANC are like that; they’re in denial that the ANC is dead. There’s no rescuing the ANC. Zuma will just kill himself with a heart attack because those people [ANC leaders] are not in a position to be rescued by anyone, including president Mandela,” he said during a media briefing last week.
The Democratic Alliance’s campaign manager, Greg Krumbock, said the DA was not bothered by emerging small parties that still needed to gain a support base.