ANC NEC Decides to Suspend Ex-President Jacob Zuma Over Support to MK Splinter Party

In a significant move that has rocked the foundations of South Africa's political landscape, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) has suspended former president Jacob Zuma for his active involvement with and support of the newly established uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, which is seen as a rival political entity challenging the ANC's grip on power.

This groundbreaking development was announced by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula at a press briefing held at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre. According to Mbalula, Zuma's conduct in supporting the MK party constitutes an act of "actively impugning the integrity of the ANC" and positions him against the current leadership under President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The action taken by the NEC is drawn from Rule 25.60 of the ANC constitution, a provision that apparently allows for immediate and irrevocable suspension in certain critical circumstances without the provision of allowing a response from the individual in question. This decision represents a unanimous consensus within the NEC, marking a rare moment of solidarity within a committee known for its factional battles, and was promptly ratified on a Monday morning following its adoption on the previous evening.

Since December 2023, Jacob Zuma has vocally supported the MK party — a group that draws its name and, purportedly, its inspiration from the ANC's historic armed wing that fought valiantly against the apartheid regime. Zuma has presented this new party as a political platform in direct opposition to Ramaphosa's leadership, accusing the current president of acting as an agent for "white monopoly capital" and of stifling the advancement of black professionals and intellectuals.

In a bold statement that further fuels the internal conflict, Zuma has declared that he "cannot, and will not, campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa," thus distancing himself from the party he once led.

Mbalula emphasized that the establishment of the MK party is viewed by the ANC as a calculated maneuver to exploit the revered legacy of Umkhonto weSizwe for a "blatantly counter-revolutionary agenda," violating the core principle that the original armed wing served exclusively to advance the political objectives set forth by the ANC.

The ANC's legal battle against the use of its historic paramilitary wing's name reflects its larger struggle to maintain control over its narrative and the symbols associated with its struggle against apartheid. By challenging the creation of the MK party in court, the ANC is seeking to protect its intellectual property rights and historical significance, asserting that the name Umkhonto weSizwe is inextricably linked to the ANC and is not to be co-opted by other political entities.

Zuma's suspension from the ANC is emblematic of an organization at a crossroads, grappling with internal divisions and the challenge of maintaining unity in the face of divergent political factions. It demonstrates the lengths to which the current ANC leadership is willing to go in order to safeguard the party's coherence and pre-eminence in the South African political arena.