Former president Jacob Zuma had the whole of Mzansi on the edge of their seats when he announced on Thursday, 14 December that he had a huge announcement to make.
On Saturday, 16 December, he finally revealed a shocker.
Msholozi (Zuma) said he won't be voting for the ANC of Ramaphosa, as he called it, instead he’ll be voting for the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party.
He held a press conference at the Ipelegeng Community Centre in Jabavu, Soweto and kept people there and all around Mzansi waiting for an hour. The presser was set to start at 2pm, but Zuma and his entourage only arrived an hour later.
The former president was accompanied by his daughter, Dudu Zuma, who read his speech which was mostly themed around rescuing the ANC.
Before making the big announcement, he listed all the things that made him want to rescue the ANC, accusing the "ANC of Ramaphosa" of declaring war against progressive black professionals and intellectuals.
“I have decided that I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa in 2024. My conscience will not allow me to lie to the people of South Africa and to pretend that the ANC of Ramaphosa is the ANC of Luthuli, Tambo and Mandela. It's not the ANC that I joined and went to jail for. In this regard I fully agree with other former leaders like comrade Thabo Mbeki and others that it would be a betrayal to campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa.
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“I therefore wish to announce that in 2024, I will vote for the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Party. It has already been registered with the IEC with my knowledge and blessings, in response to various pleas expressed to me by some religious leaders,” he said.
The former president said the aim is to unite Africans.
“The single aim is to steer the ship of total liberation from colonialism back on course by uniting Africans across the country, the African continent and the African diaspora behind the battle for land, justice and radical transformation towards economic freedom. There can never be reconciliation without socio-economic justice and equality,” he said.
He promised to share more details about the party in 2024.
“Today, my mission is only to announce the way forward. The formal launch of the MK Party and the announcement of its interim leadership and party lists will be done in the early part of 2024. At that stage we will also report back to the nation on any progress in the discussions around much-needed black unity and the Patriotic Front discussions.
“Due to the toxic atmosphere caused by our captured media, judiciary and the other arms of the state, it was necessary to conduct these discussions underground. We will soon be ready to share the details with the nation,” Zuma said.
