By Doreen Mokgolo
After criticising the ANC for months, the president of the Amabhinca nation, Ngizwe Mchunu, has shown support for the ruling party.
Mchunu met with President Cyril Ramaphosa two weeks ago to address some of the challenges that the Amabhinca nation faces.
On Saturday, the former Ukhozi FM presenter was seen with his entourage of Amabhinca at the ANC’s Siyanqoba Rally at FNB Stadium in Soweto.
Speaking to Scrolla.Africa, Mchunu said as a citizen of this country it was his constitutional right to criticise the ruling party.
“The party heard my grievances and sent their secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, and later sent President Cyril Ramaphosa to meet with us. He apologised and promised to address our challenges in the next cabinet,” he said.
“When an elderly person kneels down and apologises you accept their apology and hope that they do better going forward.”
The leader of the Zulu cultural group said they couldn’t afford to divorce the party as there is no other political party that would acknowledge their mistakes.
“We also don’t want to have a coalition government as the country is not yet ready for that. We have seen how damaging it is at the regional levels,” he said.
Though he has been very close with the leader of the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, former president Jacob Zuma, and was arrested for fuelling the July 2021 unrest to free Zuma, he said he has never joined the party or held membership in any political party.
“I don’t have a problem with the party or any of their members but I am not a member or have ever made it public that I am a member. I am not a member of a party just by being close with the members.”
Some of the challenges that he raised during his meeting with Ramaphosa included poverty, housing and oppression.
“I went there to address the challenges of Amabhinca since the dawn of democracy. We are the poorest of all in the community, and we are the people who can’t afford to eat cornflakes,” he said.
“We are oppressed as a cultural group as we were never endorsed or commercialised and feel that we are looked down on.”
Pictured above: Amabhinca.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
