Jacob Zuma shocked the ruling party when he publicly endorsed the MK Party and said his conscience would not allow him to vote for the ANC or Ramaphosa. Picture: Leon Lestrade/IndependentNewspapers
Former president Jacob Zuma made a surprise visit to the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party event in Verulam, north of Durban, on Tuesday.
The MK Party meeting, held at Mzo Lifestyle, was attended by hundreds of supporters despite the heavy Boxing Day downpour in Durban.
The former ANC President addressed supporters, again reiterating he would not vote for the governing party under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership come the 2024 national and provincial elections. Instead, Zuma said he would cast his vote for the new MK Party.
Zuma also promised a zero-tolerance policy on corruption in the MK Party and vowed that all its members would remain disciplined in the face of corruption.
Zuma told supporters that he warned politicians who “think they know politics” and were insulting the MK Party to “zip it” before he revealed uncomfortable truths about them.
President Zuma Greeting MK Members And Supporters At Mzo Lifestyle #VoteMK2024 pic.twitter.com/wiPhQv3J96
— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) December 26, 2023
Earlier this month, Zuma shocked the ruling party when he publicly endorsed the MK Party and said his conscience would not allow him to vote for the ANC or Ramaphosa.
“I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa. My conscience will not allow me to lie to the people of South Africa and pretend that the ANC of Ramaphosa was the one of [late former ANC leaders Albert] Luthuli, [Oliver] Tambo, and [Nelson] Mandela,” Zuma said at the time during a media briefing in Soweto, Johannesburg.
Zuma clarified that he was not leaving the ANC but would vote for MK Party, citing his predecessor as “an agent of white capital who has declared war on black progressives and professionals”.
The MK Party is among a number of political parties that were registered between June 29, and September 18 to contest the 2024 national elections. It remains unclear who leads the party.
The party has already been registered with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
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