The ANC has decided to suspend former president Jacob Zuma following his public endorsement of the newly established uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK Party).
The party’s national disciplinary committee is set to process Zuma’s suspension, but this will occur after the elections, allowing the party to focus on its campaign.
Zuma has a 48-hour window to respond to the suspension.
The announcement by the former statesman that he would not be supporting or voting for the ANC and would instead be supporting the MK Party as a strong rival to the beleaguered ANC government “of Cyril Ramaphosa” shocked the nation.
He stated unequivocally that the MK Party would not support the alleged corrupt ANC.
Instead, he urged his supporters to vote for the MK Party, emphasising that it is their path to liberating the country from oppression.
“We will not vote for the ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa; we will vote for Umkhonto we Sizwe,” Zuma said.
While the MK Party currently appears to be a strong contender in the upcoming 2024 elections, it is one of many minority parties vying to diminish the ANC’s support and potentially remove it from power.
IFP is open to collaboration
However, Zuma’s charisma and his ability to rally a substantial portion of the population, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, should not be underestimated.
The IFP, which has significant support in the province, previously hinted at its openness to collaborate with the MK Party.
Velenkosini Hlabisa, the president of the IFP, stated during a media briefing recently that the IFP is willing to work with the MK Party if its values align with those of the IFP.
“Should their values and principles not conflict with the IFP values, we will have no reason not to work with them, as we work with many other political parties in South Africa,” Hlabisa said.
After having met Zuma, Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama also announced that he had joined the MK Party, encouraging others to do the same.
Just a few days after Zuma declared his alignment, the MK Party announced that it had managed to garner the support of more than 2-million people.
In a media briefing in December, he warned politicians who criticise the MK Party to tread carefully, threatening that failure to do so would push him to reveal their “true colours”.
