Lizwi Ncwane, a former magistrate with strong ties to the Shembe church, has founded a new political party aiming to fight for the recognition of traditional leaders.
Ncwane launched the Africa Unite Congress (AUC) in Inanda, near Durban, on Sunday afternoon.
Ncwane resigned from his position as a magistrate to become the legal adviser to the eBuhleni faction legal team of Mduduzi Nyazilwezulu Shembe. However, he emphasised that the AUC is not affiliated with the Shembe Church but operates independently.
At the launch, he asserted that the Codesa talks preceding the 1994 transition sidelined African religions and traditional leaders, leaving them out of priority discussions.
He stressed that this exclusion has led to instances like the oppression of Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church members.
“That is why kids who are members of the Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church are being forced to cut their hair in schools,” he said.
“This is part of the oppression the African child is still facing in South Africa. It is because during the Codesa talks we as Africans and our way of life were never part of the priority.”
The party’s core objectives are centred on securing land rights, upholding the dignity of African children, and advocating for the recognition of traditional leadership.
“Our organisation will be a home for all people of this country irrespective of their religion,” he said.
“Our main fight will be for land, the dignity of an African child and traditional leadership recognition because politicians colluded during Codesa to run this country and left traditional leaders behind.”
Although the party is not officially affiliated with the powerful Shembe Church, political analyst Thobani Zikalala says it will bring the party a lot of support.
However, he said that history has not usually favoured parties that are formed through religious groups.
“We have the African Christian Democratic Party of Reverend Kenneth Meshoe that failed to garner more support from the Christian community,” he said.
“The problem is that these organisations are formed by the elite without proper consultation with the base they claim to represent.”
The AUC has announced its intention to participate in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Pictured above: Africa Unite Congress founder Lizwi Ncwane
Image source: Twitter
