Tony Yengeni fires shots as he exposes why MK Party depends on Jacob Zuma

Tony Yengeni, the second deputy president of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MKP), has said that the party is very dependent on the wisdom and counsel of party leader Jacob Zuma, referring to Zuma’s tenures as president of the African National Congress (ANC) and of the state. Yengeni’s remarks highlight Zuma’s pivotal position in the newly established political party.

When asked about the party’s dependence on Zuma, Yengeni highlighted how few South African politicians have Zuma’s level of experience and prominence. He presented Zuma as an invaluable asset to the MKP, saying that no other party in the country can match his level of leadership. This will help the party solidify its position and achieve its electoral goals.

In the midst of his exit from the ruling party in late 2022 and early 2023, Zuma underwent a dramatic political shift by moving from the ANC to establish the MKP. For Zuma and his followers, who had become politically estranged from the ANC due to recent leadership changes, the MKP was a safe haven.

The MKP has emerged as a major political force in South Africa, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, where it won a landslide victory in the most recent local elections. Thanks to its meteoric rise, the party is now a formidable political rival to long-standing powerhouses like the ANC and DA.

A reality that many new political movements face—the concentration of power and legitimacy around a founding figure—is Yengeni’s admission of the party’s reliance on Zuma. The downside is that you leave yourself open to problems if your leader isn’t available or isn’t able to keep things moving forward.

Zuma has had a contentious and convoluted political career. The accomplishments and controversies of his presidency (2009-2018) are still up for discussion, and his years after leaving office were filled with legal battles and political manoeuvring. Both his supporters and his detractors agree that he accomplished much while in office, but his detractors highlight problems with accountability and governance.

Personalities, rather than institutional development, frequently take center stage in South African politics, as shown by the MKP’s dependence on Zuma’s experience and political capital. Creating long-lasting political movements calls for strengthening institutions, outlining specific policy goals, and preparing for leadership transitions.

Concerns regarding the MKP’s capacity to break away from its association with Zuma and forge a strong organisational identity separate from its founder persist as the party presses forward with its political agenda and solidifies its position.

Yengeni’s remarks take into account the present while subtly questioning the MKP’s trajectory and institutional strength.

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