Veterans of the ANC’s Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) military wing are spearheading a project aimed at reintegrating former comrades back into the ANC, including former president Jacob Zuma.

The initiative, which is still in the planning stages, is co-led by Langa Dube, the grandson of the ANC’s founding president, John Langalibalele Dube.

This ambitious project was announced during a commemorative event celebrating the legacy of John Dube at Ohlange High School in Inanda, Durban, where KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Siboniso Duma emphasised the importance of unity within the ANC and highlighted Dube’s commitment to reconnecting with those who have left the party.

Duma shared: “Comrade Langa promised to bring back members of MK who left. He said he is targeting them because he knows them since he worked with them underground and he said he would bring them back one by one until they are all back to the ANC.”

The sentiments reflect a recognition of past mistakes and a hope for reconciliation as the ANC faces ongoing challenges and dissatisfaction among its ranks.

Dube, who has an extensive history as an underground operative since 1985, went on to detail the importance of bringing back not only former MK veterans but also Zuma, who was expelled from the ANC after voting for the newly formed MK Party (MKP) while maintaining his ANC membership.

“It is obvious that mistakes within the ANC can be corrected,” he stated, highlighting the need for dialogue to address past grievances.

The possibility of re-engaging Zuma, a senior commander during the MK’s exile, is seen as a complex issue that may require high-level negotiations.

Dube remarked: “As time goes on, there would be ironing out of the issues that made Msholozi join MKP.”

The weight of history hangs over this initiative, particularly in light of Zuma’s tumultuous relationship with the ANC, following his expulsion in July last year.

Furthermore, Dube conveyed that many veterans had distanced themselves from the ANC due to its perceived slow response to pressing socio-economic issues.

He called for a national dialogue among various black political parties to foster collaboration and create a unified vision for the future of South Africa.

Dube declined to be drawn into revealing whether he would approach the ANC national executive committee to allow Zuma back.

During the event, ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe underscored the significance of Dube’s alignment with the ANC, claiming that diverting from the party’s pathway would betray the legacy of his grandfather.

“If Langa diverts from the line, we will tell him ‘That (another party) does not belong to your family’,” Mantashe stated, pressing the importance of familial loyalty to the ANC.

Conversely, Willies Mchunu, the provincial convener of the MKP, echoed the frustrations felt by many who have left the ANC, citing a shift towards neoliberal policies that have largely ignored the needs of marginalised black communities.

“When people (MK veterans) come to me, if they will ever come, we will debate what it means to change the ANC.

“We will also debate what it means to be MKP because these two organisations represent philosophies, which are not the same.

“ANC represents non-racialism at the exclusion of the pan-Africanism. Now do you think they will even chance to pan-Africanism? I don’t see them changing,” said Mchunu, who was the ANC provincial chairperson and premier.

bongani.hans@inl.co.za