Former African National Congress (ANC) MPL in KwaZulu-Natal Mervyn Dirks says his mission is to mobilise support for uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, led by former president Jacob Zuma.
This was after the ANC in the province expelled Dirks after he ditched it to join the MK party.
Dirks confirmed the letter from the ANC on Monday and said he will go fishing for two days and then get on the campaign for MK.
“Yes, the letter is correct. I will go fishing for two days and thereafter hit the campaign trail for MK,” said Dirks.
Dirks was a member of the ANC in Parliament before he resigned and went to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
In 2022, he had a fallout with the ANC in Parliament after he wrote to the the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to probe President Cyril Ramaphosa about the use of public funds in campaigns.
This followed a video clip in which Ramaphosa said public funds were used in internal campaigns. He was speaking at the meeting of the national executive committee of the ANC at the time.
But his bid to get Scopa to investigate the allegations did not succeed. This was after Ramaphosa explained to the committee that the matters were already in the public domain.
Dirks was suspended by the ANC caucus in the national legislature, but he later resigned. He resurfaced in the KZN provincial legislature a few months later.
It emerged on Monday that the ANC in KZN had expelled him after he joined the MK party.
The ANC said Dirks had admitted this to provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo.
Dirks said he will mobilise support for the MK party.
“My only mission now is to mobilise votes for MK. I will not speak about any other political party,” said Dirks.
Mtolo said a few weeks ago they were investigating a number of members who had joined the MK party.
Zuma was suspended by the ANC early this year over his association with MK.
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in KZN expelled Zuma after he failed to attend its meetings since he was elected its provincial chairperson.
Sanco, which is in alliance with the ANC, has backed the ruling party in the elections, saying it needs to win in May.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics