By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) leader Jacob Zuma fears that internal disputes and ongoing court battles could potentially affect the party’s performance at the 29 May elections.
Zuma, who had to step away from the party’s campaign trail to concentrate on various court challenges in the high court and the Constitutional Court, returned to the campaign trail in the eThekwini Metro at the weekend.
He told an interfaith prayer service in Durban that the jostling for positions and future seats in Parliament and provincial legislatures is at the heart of ongoing divisions within his party.
The battle for control of the party has become so intense that Zuma is no longer confident that the party will meet its initial targets in these elections.
“They are saying all sorts of bad things about me and I even asked myself, will we even get this two-thirds? People are now saying, ‘Zuma, why have you (released) me from my work?’
“But they never asked me questions when I gave them positions. We are now left with two weeks. Black people will fail to take the very first opportunity to unite and take our country back.”
Zuma, who now leads the MK party, started the power struggle in his party when he summarily expelled Jabulani Khumalo, the founder of the party along with four other senior members.
Msholozi openly admitted to being the real founder of the MK party, not Khumalo.
Khumalo is contesting his dismissal, saying Zuma flouted the party’s constitution when he expelled him without a disciplinary hearing.
He claims Zuma announced himself as the new president without a meeting of the interim national executive committee electing him.
Msholozi said all this was threatening to defocus MK supporters from the important task at hand.
“There are people who haven’t seen themselves on it (the IEC list). And there are questions on why they were left out. We are not doing this to go to Parliament. We are doing this to make changes in the country.
“All of us can’t go to Parliament. There are too many things to do besides Parliament. But people are concerned about positions,” said Zuma.
The MK party is expected to emerge as the main power-broker in KwaZulu-Natal, which is expected to be hung, with neither the ANC nor the IFP able to secure a clear majority.
Pictured Above: MK party leader Jacob Zuma.
Image Source: X
