Johannesburg – Members of the e (MKMVA) who were standing guard at former president Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead have deserted their posts at the compound.
“Soldiers were given a briefing that we are going to Nkandla for a war to defend our commander [Zuma]. This is what we were prepared for. But now we sit around the entire day doing nothing. Besides, some of us have families and they need us,” said an ex-combatant who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Another MKMVA member said they left last Saturday to assist the informal traders in Durban with the “ongoing struggle against the domination” of foreigners in the informal sector.
“The MKMVA has a joint programme of action with the truck drivers and the street vendors. So the guys reached out to us and we went there to support their action. We are, however, not abandoning our commander uNxamalala.
“… For now the dominance of foreign nationals in the informal economy is a pressing issue and the MKVA, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, is waging this struggle,” said the ex-soldier.
On Sunday, three foreigners died and scores were injured when they were allegedly attacked at a flea market in Soldiers Way Street in Durban by a mob carrying sticks and other traditional weapons.
The mass action was allegedly one of a number of planned violent protests spearheaded by the MK vets, truck drivers and the informal traders targeting foreigners in an attempt to force the provincial government to cede to their demands. It has been three weeks since the members of MKMVA set up a camp outside Zuma’s compound to prevent his arrest for defying the Constitutional Court order that he must appear before the Zondo commission.
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Zibuse Cele, the KwaZulu-Natal MKMVA spokesperson, denied that some members had deserted Zuma’s homestead and that some had joined the informal traders to torment foreign street hawkers. “This is another att empt to try and divide soldiers … We can camp in Nkandla the whole year if need be. Some soldiers couldn’t make it to Nkandla because of certain commitments, but I can assure you that they did not participate in the street vendors protest,” said Cele.
This past Saturday, Black First Land First members, led by Andile Mngxitama, went to KwaDakwadunuse to support Zuma.
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Reporting by Sandile Motha.
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