Corruption-accused former president Jacob Zuma has committed to a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption within the newly established uMkhonto weSizwe Party.
Zuma made this declaration during a media briefing in Verulam, 24km north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
He told the briefing that the new political party aims to save the ANC from what he perceives to be problems associated with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tenure.
One of the central pillars of the party is its “zero-tolerance” policy on corruption.
This is a move that Zuma has highlighted as a stark departure from his previous political association with the ANC, which has been plagued by corruption scandals in recent years.
However, Zuma himself has been at the centre of these allegations, including his involvement in the arms deal scandal and his alleged ties to the infamous Gupta family, who are accused of exerting undue influence over decisions of the previous government.
Path to liberating South Africa
During the briefing, he stated unequivocally that the MK Party would not support the alleged corrupt ANC in the upcoming 2024 election.
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 weSizwe,” Zuma charged.
The former statesman’s affiliation with the MK Party sent shockwaves throughout the nation when he declared that he would not be endorsing or voting for the ANC in 2024, but rather throwing his support behind the MK Party as a viable alternative to the struggling ANC government.
While the MK Party currently appears to be a strong contender in the upcoming 2024 elections, it is just one of many minority parties vying to diminish the ANC’s support and potentially remove it from power.
However, Zuma’s charisma and his ability to rally a substantial portion of the population should not be underestimated.
In just a few days after his announcement, the MK Party managed to garner the support of more than 2-million people.
Nevertheless, Zuma’s controversial past and ongoing legal battles may cast doubts on his party’s anti-corruption stance.
He has warned politicians who criticise the MK Party to tread carefully, threatening that failure to do so will push him to revealing their “true colours”.
