Mbalula Reveals How Zuma Hosted ANC Envoy With Maskandi Music During GNU Talks

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has revealed how an attempt to negotiate with former president Jacob Zuma during the Government of National Unity (GNU) discussions allegedly ended without meaningful political engagement at Zuma’s Nkandla residence.

Speaking last week, Mbalula said the ANC had sent senior party official Mdumiseni Ntuli to KwaZulu-Natal to engage Zuma, who leads the MK Party, during the coalition negotiations.

However, instead of discussing possible political arrangements, Zuma reportedly played traditional Zulu maskandi music throughout Ntuli’s visit. According to Mbalula, the music continued for hours, with no substantial discussions taking place.

Mbalula presented the incident as an example of what he viewed as deliberate resistance from Zuma’s camp during efforts to establish a post-election governing arrangement.

The incident took place following the May 2024 general elections, in which the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994, forcing it to negotiate with other political parties.

Although Nkandla became a venue for some coalition discussions, Mbalula’s account suggests that the meeting with Ntuli produced little progress.

It remains unclear whether Zuma’s actions were intended as a negotiating tactic or reflected his unwillingness to engage. The MK Party had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.

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