MK Party still wants Zuma in the ANC

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in KwaZulu-Natal says the ANC has no leg to stand on in its disciplinary hearing of former president Jacob Zuma.

The ANC's National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) has set down July 17 for its virtual disciplinary hearing against Zuma following his suspension from the ANC in January this year. He faces two counts for contravening the ANC's constitution.

The hearing was initially scheduled for May but was postponed until after the elections due to security concerns.

Zuma landed in hot water after openly endorsing the MK Party on December 16, citing that he would be campaigning and voting for the party, and not the ANC led by President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, he would remain a member of the ANC.

He is now the MK Party leader, occupying a position contested by the party's expelled founding member, Jabulani Khumalo.

MK Party spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Ndaba Gcwabaza, said they remained optimistic about Zuma's future in the ANC. Gcwabaza said although they could not prevent the ANC from holding its disciplinary hearing, they would be rallying behind Zuma.

Asked about their expectations on the outcome of the proceedings, Gcwabaza said that they were confident that Zuma would emerge victorious, claiming that the ANC was aware it could not expel him.

He said that the ANC was grasping at straws with its decision to hold the disciplinary hearing: "The ANC leadership is just putting up a façade and trying to give the impression that they are actually doing something effective by disciplining Zuma.

"Maybe they should begin by disciplining their president who hid large sums of money. That is the major disciplinary hearing that they should be hosting. Also, these ANC disciplinary hearings are picky – some people from the party get disciplined, while others do as they please. Others are told to step down while attending court cases which have not been concluded and others are left to their own devices and even get reinstated to their positions," said Gcwabaza.

He said that the ANC leadership was attempting to portray themselves as being firm.

"There is no backbone in the current ANC leadership. It is just a bunch of deceitful leaders."

Gcwabaza added that with the hearing being held virtually, they were yet to decide on what measures the MK Party should implement to show their support for Zuma.

"We will not allow him to be eaten up by a bunch of crocodiles. In fact, they are just a bunch of cats," said Gcwabaza.

Meanwhile, political analyst Siyabonga Ntombela from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, predicted that the hearing would rule against Zuma.

"It will be a dismissal for Zuma and they are just formalising the matter. Already, the ANC clearly states that the minute you are de-campaigning the party and opening supporting another political establishment, you have already brought yourself out of the movement. So, I do not expect anything other his dismissal," he said.

He pointed out that ANC leaders, Fikile Mbalula and Gwede Mantashe, were vocal about the possible implications of campaigning for another party, regardless of still maintaining membership of the party.

"The MK was not part of the GNU and they have not brought back the votes for the ANC, so they are going to treat him as an enemy," said Ntombela.