In a recent interview with SAFM, Bheki Mtolo, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary of the African National Congress (ANC), stated that former President Jacob Zuma is “no longer a member of the ANC.”
This declaration comes after Zuma announced last month that he would be supporting the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the upcoming 2024 general elections, citing the ANC’s deviation from its core values.
The formation of the MK party has been seen by many as a breakaway faction of the ANC, leading analysts to label Zuma’s move as a blow to the ANC. The ANC Veterans League went as far as calling Zuma’s decision “treason and treachery” and called for strong action to be taken against him.
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Mtolo acknowledged that Zuma had both good and bad attributes but suggested that the ANC was weakened during Zuma’s tenure as president. He stated, “In the ANC as a party, you can’t deny that the ANC got more divided, more fragmented.
Not only the ANC, but the entire alliance, Cosatu, the youth league, the women’s league, everything was in a disarray… It was very, very weak when he (Zuma) left.”
Mtolo emphasized that it was Zuma who turned against the ANC, not the other way around. He stated, “We have not left him, he has left the ANC… I think it is the hatred for (Cyril) Ramaphosa, but also he has realized that the ANC has, at some point, had enough of serving only his interests.”
The ANC’s KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo on @SAfmRadio this morning…saying Jacob Zuma is “no longer a member of the ANC”. #Safmsunrise https://t.co/JaJgJWA6EM
— Stephen Grootes (@StephenGrootes) January 23, 2024
Mtolo highlighted the support that Zuma had received from the ANC, but also noted that there were limits to that support. He stated, “There is a limit where you say I can’t go beyond this.”
While Zuma has not been expelled from the ANC, Mtolo clarified that he is no longer a member of the party. Mtolo’s comments reflect the growing divide between Zuma and the ANC, with the party facing the challenge of dealing with its former president.
Political analyst Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast stated that the ANC’s decision to address Zuma on public platforms was a mistake and that disciplinary action should have been taken. He emphasized that public platforms were not the appropriate avenue for dealing with such matters.
Recently, Jacob Zuma was expected to attend an MK gathering in Limpopo, which included a wreath-laying ceremony at the graves of ANC members, including his former ally Collins Chabane.
However, the families of the deceased refused to allow MK members to visit the graves. This incident further highlights the tensions and divisions within the ANC and its breakaway factions.
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