Who is the MK political party leader? uMkhonto weSizwe's leadership explained
The 13 political parties in South Africa collectively run the country to varying degrees, although the African National Congress (ANC) is the current leading party. The ANC's current power is threatened by various political parties taking over the country, and the new MK party is a looming threat to its top spot. Who is the MK president?
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Jacob Zuma was South Africa's controversial president. His term was from May 9, 2009, until February 14, 2018. Jacob's reign was marred with controversy, and he was at the centre of the judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture, known as the Zondo Commission.
Because Jacob Zuma did not appear before the Zondo Commission, he was arrested on July 7, 2021, in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. However, he was released two months later on medical parole and has remained on parole since.
The controversial leader has recently re-entered the political atmosphere and is allegedly at the highest ranks of the new MK Party. How did the controversial figure get there, and who created the MK party?
Who is the MK political party leader?
Before we discuss other details of the new political party that has shaken up South Africa's political atmosphere, who is the leader of the new MK party? At the time of writing, Jacob Zuma is listed as the MK party president.
Jacob Zuma’s new political party has thrown a spanner into the works with ANC's hopes to maintain power. Al Jazeera reported that various polls have predicted that ANC will lose its hold as the majority political party, and the party's only hope of maintaining power would be to form a coalition.
The MK party is an unlikely candidate for an ANC coalition. One of the organisation's big draws is that it provides an alternative for ANC supporters who are not currently happy with the ANC's current workings.
uMkhonto weSizwe's leaders
Jacob Zuma’s new political party is a dark horse in South African politics, but he did not start it. According to a party statement made sometime after its creation, the party founder is Jabulani Khumalo. Sources state Jabulani did so at Jacob's request and on his behalf.
Jacob Zuma announced in mid-December that he would support MK in the 2024 elections, substantially increasing the party's support. SowetanLIVE reported that the MK party's leadership drastically changed in April 2024 and that Jabulani was removed as a party member.
Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela explained that he and four other leaders, Ray Khumalo, Bheki Manzini, Lebo Moepeng and Rochelle Davidson, were expelled as an act of 'cleansing itself of rogue elements.' Nhlamulo explained in the same SowetanLIVE article earlier:
'At a meeting held by the national leadership core, and in light of the attempts by external forces to destabilise the MK Party, whose aim is to advance a revolution of the people, the national leadership core has taken a decision to expel these comrades.'
More internal issues within the party came to light in May 2024 when Jabulani wrote a letter accusing Jacob of 'several acts of misconduct' regarding activities within the MK Party. With ongoing tensions between Zuma and Jabulani, there are no further updates regarding who spearheads the party at the time of writing.
Source: UGC
What does the MK party stand for?
Zuma’s MK party is also known as uMkhonto weSizwe, which means 'Spear of the Nation'. The uMkhonto weSizwe's party logo depicts an African man in traditional attire holding a spear and shield in a defensive stance, a direct reflection of 'uMkhonto weSizwe's' meaning.
There is some confusion regarding whether uMkhonto weSizwe is the same as the one associated with the ANC. The latter had a military wing of the same name established by Nelson Mandela after the events of the Sharpeville Massacre on March 21, 1960. The military wing is now defunct.
How old is the MK party?
When this article was written in 2024, the MK party was only a few months old. Party founder Jabulani Khumalo officially registered the party with South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on September 7, 2023.
uMkhonto weSizwe's members
There is no confirmation on uMkhonto weSizwe's party membership numbers has been confirmed. MSN reported in December 2023 that as of December 18, 2023, the party's website had one million people navigating it in hopes of joining it.
An IOL article also reported that the party mentioned 30,000 supporters who planned to travel to Orlando Stadium to listen to Jacob Zuma's keynote speech. However, no statistics have been made official since May 18, 2024.
Source: UGC
Growing support nationwide
SABC News highlighted that most of the party's supporters are based in KwaZulu-Natal, where they have made the most impact. At the time of writing, the party was geared up to release its manifesto in Johannesburg, mentioning that the city was in disarray and in desperate need of change.
Head of Elections Muzi Ntshingila stated that the MK Party is the solution to the country's socio-economic woes. He also mentioned that the current ruling party has not improved the country.
MK party contact details
If you have any further questions, contact the party at info@mkparty.co.za. You can also follow them on their various social media pages, including their Facebook page, which had 78K likes as of May 18, 2024, and their X (Twitter) profile, which had 38.2K followers.
uMkhonto weSizwe may be a political party in its infancy, but it is already showing promise as an emerging party to keep an eye on. Jacob Zuma, the MK political party leader, is a big pull for the party's supporters and has changed the political atmosphere.
READ ALSO: MK party membership: A step-by-step guide to joining uMkhonto weSizwe
Briefly.co.za shared a guide about how to register and join the MK party membership online.
The MK party’s website discusses its manifesto and how it aims to transform South Africa's current political landscape. The application process is quick and easy.
Source: Briefly News
