Zuma, a bitter lesson for the ANC: Zikalala

 

ANC veteran, Snuki Zikalala, says former president Jacob Zuma’s expulsion from the ANC was long overdue.

He says the former president’s conduct is a bitter lesson for the ANC.

Zuma, who has been in the ANC for just over six decades, has become the first former president to be expelled from the party.

He contravened party rules when he formed the MK Party, while still a card-carrying member of the liberation movement.

The former statesman has 21 days to appeal his expulsion.

Zikalala says the ANC should have nipped it in the bud and disciplined Zuma the moment he publicly declared his support for the MK Party.

On the 16th of December, Zuma took the nation by storm and announced that he would be ditching the ANC vote at the polls and declared his support for the MK Party.

The MK Party, which had been around for about five months when South Africans went to the polls, managed to garner 14.58% of the votes nationally, kicking the EFF out of the top 3 spot.

Zikalala conceded that Zuma’s move to form and support the MK Party cost the ANC big time at the polls and led to a lot of confusion.

“We lost two million voters to the MK Party because he said he’s formed the MK Party and also that he is still part and parcel of the ANC. Now people thought that’s how it works, and it does not work like that.”

While Zuma has contributed immensely to the liberation movement, Zikalala says he has left with his legacy.

He slammed the former president for forming a parallel party that aimed to counter the ANC.

The veteran, however, admitted that the ANC should draw lessons from this entire saga.

Meanwhile, political analyst, Professor Susan Booysen, says Zuma’s expulsion will not deter him in his project to damage the ANC.

Booysen has labelled the formation of the MK Party as Zuma’s total sweet revenge against the ANC.

While Zuma’s legacy in the ANC remains unquestionable, the scholar says in politics one is as good as their last performance.

She adds that Zuma will be remembered for giving the ANC a run for its money in the historic 2024 elections.

The MK Party has slammed the ANC for leaking the letter on Zuma’s expulsion, claiming that they learnt about the outcomes of the hearing on social media.

They say the former president will be taking legal action against his expulsion.

The ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, has blasted Zuma for his decision to form the MK Party and later trying to discredit the outcome of the May 29 elections.

“His platform is dangerous, appeals to extremist instincts in our body politic and rise up political base that may formant social unrest,” he said during a media briefing in the stream below.

[WATCH] In the matter ANC vs Zuma

Following a disciplinary hearing the matter of the ANC vs JG Zuma on 23 July 2024 on a virtual platform, the National Disciplinary Committee made the following finding in respect of Mr Zuma on 28 July 2024:#LetsDoMoreTogether pic.twitter.com/axfmOewoGK

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) July 29, 2024

Findings of JZ’s DC hearing