Umkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) MP and former government functionary Lucky Montana has expressed his displeasure at his “brother” Floyd Shivambu’s characterisation of Jacob Zuma’s party as a “family enterprise”.
According to Montana, Shivambu’s characterisation and his general anger at MK Party since leaving the party are grossly misplaced.
In fact, charged Montana, the MK Party Shivambu joined and declared as the only viable vehicle to unite black progressive forces is the same MK Party he left.
Montana was speaking to Sunday World Engage in a candid interview, where he dissected wide-ranging political issues about his party and socio-economic matters in South Africa at large.
MK Party shortcomings
While slamming Shivambu, Montana also acknowledged MK Party’s shortcomings. He says that should be expected in any organisation comprised of people.
To simply dismiss what he calls the “biggest blow to the white establishment in South Africa” as just a Zuma family thing, he said, was narrow on the part of Shivambu.
Montana was responding to Shivambu’s consistent characterisation of MK Party as a family stokvel for the Zumas. He said this during the Mayibuye Consultation Process, a view also shared by many outside Mayibuye.
“Floyd knows he’s a brother, and he knows that in life, he can count on him. I count on him. But let me say he has erred in a fundamental way,” said Montana.
“The objective conditions that brought Floyd (Shivambu) to MK party still exist today in the country. He said, and some of his comrades said, after the May 29 elections, Umkhonto Wesizwe is a vehicle to champion that cause of progressive black people. I’ll tell you now that when I analyse South Africa, in fact, there’s more of a justification now for a much stronger and dynamic MK. So, I don’t share that view (that it is a Zuma family stokvel).
“We debate quite a lot. But when Floyd left, I think the reasons he articulated for leaving the EFF — that it is not a vehicle, or it’s no longer the vehicle, remains. The EFF can still play an important role. But when you look and it, it has to do with your analysis of what happened. What are the factors that led to May 29 last year? If that is the case, as revolutionaries, even when we are unhappy, we still have to recognise we don’t destroy what is there.”
Shivambu made huge blunder
Montan continued that Shivambu’s anger over MK Party and his mission to take it down were a huge blunder. It was from a place of misunderstanding the foundation of the party beyond its head – Zuma.
“Anyone who wants to destroy MK Party is making a very fundamental mistake. Because with the betrayal, you know, the white establishment captured the ANC [and] the country. And they thought they’re done, they’ve secured themselves,” he said.
Montana insisted that the MK Party was a far bigger project than Zuma. It had behind the scenes foundational infrastructure such as traditional leaders and church leaders who had grown frustrated with the ANC.
This was why he believed it would be mission impossible for the like of Shivambu’s Mayibuye to break MK Party, which he is adamant overtook the EFF in its very first electoral showing for the same reasons.
MK Party will defy the odds
“I want to challenge everyone, including my friend, comrade Floyd, anyone who thinks MK will implode like Prince Mashele, or everyone who thinks MK will end in 10 years, I don’t think they understand South Africa. They’re not analysing it properly. They don’t capture things properly. Maybe populism plays an important role in that.”
Montana, however, expressed concerns at challenges he has observed that are plaguing the MK Party.
One of those, he said, was that the party was growing too fast. As such, it was bound to encounter turbulence more often than normal.
Concern over party policy
Moreover, Montana is concerned about the policy and ideological posturing of MK Party. And the confusion this has planted in the members and leaders of the gwaza brigade. Hence the differences outsiders view as internal turmoil.
“I think one of the things that MK also hasn’t finalised is this process on policy formulation, which should help to be the glue that you need in an organisation growing as rapidly as ours,” said Montana.
“You have an organisation that wants radical change. But I also get the sense. And I’m speaking at the personal level, that some of our people think that MK is a socialist organisation. It’s not a socialist organisation. It’s a radical political movement, but not a socialist organisation.
“Others say it’s national liberation. I don’t think that it is, of course in outlook, it must be pan-Africanist. So, I think that you’re going to have this pull and pushes, and you also have tendencies. You can’t run away from the fact that a significant part of MK members are from the ANC.”
