The ruling African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa has suspended former President Jacob Zuma after he refused to vote for it and launched a rival organisation.
According to the ANC’s decision yesterday, “Zuma and others whose conduct is in conflict with our values and principles will find themselves outside the African National Congress,” said Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
Zuma’s nine-year reign as president, from 2009, was dogged by scandals and he also faces corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal. He denies wrongdoing in all cases.
According to findings from the ANC, Zuma allegedly placed the interests of corrupt associates ahead of those of his country, in a process known as “state capture”. After he left office, he was jailed in 2021 for not appearing at the inquiry.
The ANC had, however, tolerated Mr Zuma, even with his multiple problems, but the creation of a new party that may threaten the ANC was more than the party could take.
The new party of Zuma known as Mkhonto we Sizwe (MK), meaning “spear of the nation”, shares a name with the ANC’s former armed wing he once served in.
Zuma’s former ANC colleagues accused him of debasing the “proud history of armed struggle against the apartheid regime” through the “opportunistic use of military symbolism”.
They also said MK only exists to “erode the support base of the ANC”.
South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who took over from Zuma in 2018, said he was going to clean up the government but he now leads an embattled ANC into this year’s general election.
During the launch of the MK in December, Zuma in a statement said he would “die a member of the ANC” but not vote for it, adding that some of its leaders behave in an “un-ANC manner” and it was now his mission to “rescue” the “once-great movement”.
The launch of the new party, notwithstanding, it is doubtful if this will translate into popular support during elections for the party.
