The Western Cape high court has reserved judgment in the case involving Jacob Zuma and 10 MPs expelled from his uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, who are challenging their removal from parliament. (Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)
“I will die a member of the ANC.” Those who follow local politics will remember this statement from former ANC and national president Jacob Zuma after he was expelled from the party with which he had been associated for more than six decades.
These words, said grudgingly, were uttered after his disciplinary hearing a few weeks ago. They speak to the “political jackpot” that has fallen to the Nkandla duo of Zuma and his daughter, Duduzile.
From the formation of the uMkhonto weSizwe party in late 2023 to it becoming the third biggest political party in South Africa after the elections and the internal tussling for seats and positions of power, the father-daughter partnership has created a fair bit of traction over the past few months, sending the ANC into a political nightmare.
Looking in from the outside, one would assume the MK party had all its affairs in order. But that is certainly not the case. The party keeps playing an extreme game of musical chairs with positions within its structures and parliament and they are spending much of their time in court, squabbling with the ANC.
Jabulani Khumalo effectively being ousted from the party he founded, MPs hired and fired in the blink of an eye and leaked parliamentary lists flying all over social media are all signs of serious internal turmoil.
The burning question that requires a serious answer is, does the MK party have a clear direction or are they taking it as it comes and simply “freestyling” the game of South African politics. If the answer is “yes”, it could have negative implications for the party in the 2026 local government elections, as well as the 2029 national elections.
It seems their flash-in-the-pan success has quickly crumbled, given that the party performed dismally in the by-elections held in KZN after the May national elections. MK party voters can clearly see the instability and this could discourage them from continuing to support it.
In addition, the MK party seems to have its hands full with trivial legal battles — such as fighting with the ANC over their logo and name and taking national broadcaster SABC to court — to which building the party has taken a backseat.
They are taking the SABC to court over the use of the term “government of national unity” which they claim is misleading because two big parties, namely itself and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), are not part of it.
In the past few weeks, recently expelled members of parliament have taken legal action, accusing the party’s parliamentary leadership of fraud and failure to follow due process in removing them.
Party leader Zuma remains adamant he will die a member of the ANC, despite publicly campaigning for the MK party and destroying the latter in the May elections. It seems the former president can’t make up his mind about his political loyalties. Many members and high-ranking officials of the newly formed outfit are former members of the ANC, so it becomes tricky to determine their allegiance.
It is also a mission to differentiate between the two parties because they are so similar. One notable difference is how radical the MK party is compared to the ANC. So, it should not be a massive surprise that members who jumped ship from the ANC feel right at home in the green and black of the MK party.
Speaking of loyalty and the MK party, it seems the green-and-black party is not interested in repaying the fidelity of the members who have been with them from its beginnings in 2023.
The party made what Zuma has paraded as a big catch when former EFF leader Floyd Shivambu nailed his colours to the mast by switching allegiances. Long-standing Zuma loyalist Mzwandile Manyi, who has been part of the ANC, African Transformation Movement and the EFF joined him.
There are allegations that former secretary general turned party chief whip of the MK party, Sihle Ngubane, included some of his relatives, such as his daughter, on a parliamentary list which was recently leaked. This is something any party should take seriously. The same list reportedly includes state capture-fingered Brian Molefe, Tom Moyane and Lucky Montana.
Will Shivambu’s search for greener pastures catapult him into the MK party’s top seat at some point? What does that mean for the party’s recently established stronghold of KZN? What does that mean for Duduzile Zuma?
In March, EFF leader Julius Malema and top-level officials met to discuss the redeployment of Shivambu. Originally, he was placed in KZN to help regain the party’s momentum in the province but this seems to have failed dismally. It is possible that this failure caused tension between him and his former boss in the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela house.
Shivambu’s failure to connect with the KZN region should ring alarm bells in his new political home, especially if he harbours ambitions of becoming the party president. How will he form a lasting relationship with a political party that is establishing its roots in KwaZulu-Natal, when he could not do this for the EFF?
MK party members on the ground are not pleased about Shivambu joining because it means the loyal members who have made the party what it is have either been overlooked or frozen out. One would assume that this impulsive union was rushed and the inevitable end to the honeymoon phase could be rocky, for both parties.
Shivambu did not leave the EFF quietly and Malema is visibly livid. In April, Malema said he was willing to work with the MK party after the elections and he planned to meet Zuma to discuss possible collaboration.
Judging by Malema’s explosive display of emotion, it seems the MK party has lost a valuable ally which spells trouble for the progressive caucus. Without the EFF’s muscle and political experience, how does the MK party intend to navigate the storm they have created?
While the MK party might have members who boast heaps of political experience, as a unit, they lack the required knowledge, and it stands out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, the snappy slogans and flashy regalia cannot mask the rash decision-making and mountain of pressure they have made for themselves.
A lot of work needs to be done before the next elections but the first item on their agenda needs to be an elective conference and strategic-planning meeting but there are no signs that such a conference will happen anytime soon.
From its formation to the present, the MK party has laid a somewhat shaky foundation, coupled with a spaza shop-like modus operandi. Many things need to be discussed internally, from their vision and who to align with, to whether or not the personnel they have sitting in comfy seats at the top will lead justly and ethically. The writer is a final year journalism student at Durban University of Technology and a 200 Young South Africans Mail & Guardian 2024 winner.