‘It’s about stomachs and careers’: Prof John Molepo on MK party’s newcomers

New kid on the political block, the uMkhonto weSizwe party has caused some techtonic shifts on South Africa’s busy political scene by snatching some heavyweight political characters from both the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Nothing could have prepared the EFF led by self-styled commander-in-chief Julius Sello Malema to lose its second in command to Zuma’s MK party, at the same period where the red berets also lost some of its key members.

In August, IOL reported that founding member and erstwhile deputy president of the EFF, Floyd Shivambu’s dramatic departure from the party to align himself with the uMkhonto weSizwe party underscored the ever-shifting alliances in the political landscape, where, as the saying goes, “there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics”.

Shivambu’s resignation came as a shock to many, as Shivambu and the EFF were very vocal about Zuma’s from removal from the Presidency, after the Nkandla scandal came to light.

In October, IOL reported that former Public Protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane and former EFF Member of Parliament had been announced as MK party convener in the province of Mpumalanga.

MK party also announced former KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) premier and ANC veteran Willies Mchunu as its provincial leader in KZN.

In November, IOL reported that former EFF chairperson, advocate Dali Mpofu had also quit the Economic Freedom Fighters to join Zuma at the MK party.

At the time, Mpofu said that he was of the view that the only party that represents his own passion for national unity is the MK party.

“The MK party has been true to fostering unity. Total black and progressive unity and I feel total liberation would be achieved through MK party,” said Mpofu.

In an interview with IOL, Associate Professor at the North West University, Professor John Ntshaupe Molepo said the busy street into the MK party should not be viewed only as a realignment of politics, but politicians seeking political growth and personal gain. 

“We see a lot of big names joining the MK party and that could be for various reasons including new opportunities for them career-wise because we have politicians who are careerists and you have others who deal with persona politics, who see Jacob Zuma as their messiah.

“You ask yourself, why would these people follow the MK party? Besides anything that is attracting them, South Africans really like new things,” said Molepo.

However, the academic said the long list of opposition parties is growing by the day in South Africa, which could explain politicians original desire in joining the political area in the first place.

“Why do we have so many opposition political parties? What do they want, all of them? Why can’t they sit and discuss for the common good of the people in trying to ensure that the lives of the people are improved? You have people who want to lead, all of them. For me, I find it strange because right now in South Africa we do not have a strong opposition,” he said.

“The issue of MK with the names joining, I think for the people joining it could be about opportunity. If you check, majority of those who joined MK are disgruntled with the current political landscape and are therefore seeking resuscitation. They believe the MK could resuscitate their politics.”

Molepo was doubtful on the political weight brought to MK party by the big signings.

“I do not think South Africans are naïve. South Africans worry about people who believe in a persona than ideology. People are very careful when it comes to politics,” said Molepo.

“I wouldn’t say this is the realignment of the left or radical economic transformation but these are people who are very disgruntled. You know, when you are angry, you are dangerous. I wouldn’t call it the realignment of the left but people who want to settle scores and you are going to have revenge politics.

“We might lose substance of proper opposition politics through people seeking revenge,” he said.

In August, IOL reported that Mzwanele Manyi’s political zigzag over the last five years, from ANC to ATM, then EFF, and now Jacob Zuma’s MK party, had sparked criticism from fellow politicians, while a political analyst calls his MK party move a return to his Zuma’s roots.

The EFF endured a massive hit in August when Shivambu and Manyi swapped their red berets for the spears of the uMkhonto weSizwe party.

In an interview with IOL News, renowned political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said Manyi’s move to the MK party hits all the same notes he once loved about the ANC under Jacob Zuma.

Seepe said Manyi joining Zuma’s eight-month-old MK party was like “going home,” as it mirrors the ANC under Zuma in all its aspects.

“When Zuma was still the president, Manyi was still at the ANC and when Msholozi left, for Manyi it was that the ANC also changed and became a party by a prepaid president (Ramaphosa).”

He said Manyi felt that with Ramaphosa’s takeover, the ANC no longer resembled the party he had joined.

“Manyi’s decision for leaving was that the ANC of Ramaphosa, for him, had abandoned what the party stood for, in the same way that people like Dali Mpofu had left the party. It was not because they were expelled, but it had become another animal that is different from the ANC that they formed part of in the last 33 years.”

He said that when Zuma launched the MK party, it branded itself as a return to the roots of the original ANC, which is why Manyi left the red berets to join it.

“He felt that now, he was parking at the EFF, but found that MK party satisfied everything he used to like in the ANC, which had been abandoned by Ramaphosa.”

In addition, Seepe said Manyi ditched the red berets for the spears of the MK party, and this should be seen as a political move.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL