The African National Congress (ANC) has read a riot act to some of its members who are said to be working with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).
This is as the party has been navigating turbulent waters as allegations emerge of party members covertly aligning themselves with the MK Party.
This revelation comes hot on the heels of the ANC’s disappointing electoral performance in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where support plummeted from 54% in 2019 to just 17% in the recent elections.
During a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in Boksburg on Monday, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri addressed the concerning allegations, stating that members who no longer wish to be part of the ANC are free to exit the party.
“We have been made to believe that we are having people who are said to be working for the MK Party,” she explained. “We are not in the business of pounding people and second-guessing our own leaders and members. We believe that those who don’t find pleasure in the ANC anymore are free to go to whichever party.”
This statement appears to be a direct response to reports that senior ANC officials are allegedly backing the MK Party while still holding positions within the ANC.
The claims have caused ripples of concern within the party, which is tasked with fortifying its ranks at a time when political loyalty is pivotal in the face of waning voter support.
Bhengu-Motsiri also highlighted the importance of this NWC meeting as a follow-up to a previous electoral performance review, specifically targeting KZN’s critical role as a significant contributor to ANC’s overall vote share.
“We should have some finality by today to some of those reports,” she stated, stressing the need for accountability amidst the allegations of internal discontent.
There has been speculation over the future of the KZN PEC following massive electoral losses in the recent elections.
Last week, KZN ANC chairperson, Bheki Mtolo, declared that he would not shoulder the blame alone for the electoral decline.
He stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula should share responsibility for the overall national drop in support.
“ANC nationally got 40%, meaning the NEC lost the country by 40%. The NEC led by Ramaphosa and Mbalula lost the country to that. They must take that responsibility,” he asserted.
Speaking to The Star on Monday, political commentator, Mzoxolo Mpolase, said it is not shocking that there are people within the ANC who are working behind the scenes with the MK Party.
“It is neither unfathomable nor bizarre; in fact, it is expected. This is because it is common knowledge that many individuals who left to establish the MK Party originally came from the ANC, sharing the same makeup and characteristics as Jacob Zuma.
“These are all ANC types and characters — remember the abrupt cancellation of ANC memberships by figures like Des van Rooyen when the MK Party lists were being finalised ahead of the elections earlier this year.
“It follows, therefore, that even after the establishment phase, many still feed information from the ANC to the MK Party. Indeed, the stakes are now higher. It is not just about feeding information to the ANC or thwarting the ANC’s various legal attempts to snuff out the MK Party in its infancy. It is about ensuring that the ANC is destabilised,” he said.
As such, Mpolase said the MK Party is now the official opposition following the creation of the ANC-led coalition government.
“The MK Party sees itself as a rival. Its survival into the next election depends on its continued cannibalisation of both the ANC and, to some extent, the EFF vote. Consequently, it is in the MK Party’s interest to see the ANC lose its appeal to the electorate and exploit its structural weaknesses — characterised by leaks, infighting, weak branches, and the ongoing discord within the ANC headquarters and provincial structures.
“As for the ANC renewal (whatever that may entail), it has largely become a redundant term — more of a mantra than a reflection of reality. Achieving renewal will undoubtedly be more challenging due to the ongoing efforts of the MK Party. Furthermore, with the electorate continuing to view the ANC through the same critical lens as before the election, its decline seems likely to persist, regardless of any talk of renewal,” he said.
The Star
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