Zuma's rising MK Party to join South African opposition

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Jun 2024 09:27

By joining the Progressive Caucus alliance, the MK Party will lead the South African opposition in a historic first, as the country's political landscape changes drastically.

Listen

Jacob Zuma, center, the leader of the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party waves to supporters after casting his ballot in Nkandla, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, on May 29, 2024. (AP)

South Africa's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party will join an alliance of opposition parties in parliament, following the results of decisive elections that saw the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance form a coalition government.

Although leading opposition parties such as MK Party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have their roots in the ANC, the parties have starkly set themselves apart due to past in-party disputes that led to the formation of MK and EFF.

Historically, the ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the DA have been rivals, with the DA leading the opposition from 1999 until the 2024 elections. On the other hand, the ANC, coming out of the South African revolution led by Nelson Mandela, has held a near majority position in the South African National Assembly since 1994.

However, this year, the ANC suffered a resounding setback of 71 seats in the National Congress, forcing it to form a coalition government with the DA.

John Steenhuisen's DA only gained 3 of these seats, while Jacob Zuma's MK Party secured 58 of those seats lost by the ANC and others.

MK Party to lead opposition against 'white-led unholy alliance'

MK Party has also boycotted the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, after filing a complaint at the country's top court, alleging vote-rigging, which the court dismissed at a later time.

MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela told reporters that the party would join the alliance called the Progressive Caucus, which includes the Marxist EFF and the center-left United Democratic Movement.

This alliance commands close to 30% of the seats in the National Assembly, Ndhlela said, sitting next to Zuma and the leaders of several smaller parties in the Assembly.

"This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also resulted in the consolidation of right-wing and reactionary forces who are opposed to economic freedom, radical economic transformation, racial equality, and land repossession," he said.

On his part, Zuma said that the unity government is "meaningless", calling it a "white-led unholy alliance."

Ndhlela said that MK had decided to take up its seats in the National Assembly after receiving legal advice, and that it would continue to raise its allegations of a rigged election in parliament and in courts.