Cape Town — The ANC Veterans League (ANCVL) has called on the ruling party to take decisive action against former president Jacob Zuma, who will not be campaigning for the party ahead of the 2024 general elections.
As far as the ANC hierarchy is concerned, Zuma has controversially chosen to abandon the ANC in favour of the newly-formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, named after the ANC famous military wing.
The former president has drawn criticism from many names within the ANC as they feel he has betrayed the party, with ANC KZN leader, Bheki Mloto, calling him out for being “ill-disciplined” for “divorcing the party.”
The ANCVL has called on the ANC to take action against Zuma for breaching the constitution of the party by supporting another party, saying it was now evident who was de-campaigning the party, they said in a statement.
They said the ANC should act with speed as the “legacy of the ANC was not for sale” and the naming rights to MK cannot just be sold to the highest bidder. The MK Party, which is supported by Zuma, is not part of the ANC and has no links to the ruling party. They added they would not allow the legacy of the ANC to be appropriated for the wrong reasons.
The role of the ANC Veterans’ League in the election campaign pic.twitter.com/QbtlltmzKS
— ANC Veterans League (@ANCVL_) December 20, 2023
According to Dr Sizo Nkala from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Zuma’s support for MK will have an impact on the outcome of elections, noting that Zuma was still well-supported in KZNa nd aprts of Gauteng, IOL wrote.
Zuma’s actions have clearly contravened the constitution of the ANC, which prohibits its members from campaigning against the party. Zuma’s allies, such as Ace Magashule and Carl Niehaus, were expelled from the party following their transgressions of the party constitution. However, taking similar action on Zuma will not be a simple matter, said Nkala.
Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast from Nelson Mandela University (NMMU) said it would be difficult for the ANC to act on this, and that the situation remains difficult owing to Zuma still being an ANC member.
“It’s a complex matter. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said Breakfast.
Meanwhile, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa was mum on Zuma’s decision to vote for the MK Party, but said they had noted Zuma’s decision.0
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
