Mbalula: Zuma Had Other Plans When ANC Sent Ntuli to Nkandla

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has shared a story from behind the scenes of the talks that led to the Government of National Unity (GNU). According to him, he sent ANC national executive committee member Mdumiseni Ntuli to Nkandla to meet former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma while the coalition negotiations were under way.

The meeting was meant to be an important political engagement. Mbalula says it took an unexpected turn, because Zuma reportedly spent the whole day entertaining Ntuli with maskandi music.

The story gives a rare look at how senior ANC figures dealt with Zuma as parties tried to decide the country’s political future after the 2024 national and provincial elections. Those elections changed South African politics in a big way. For the first time since democracy began in 1994, the ANC lost its majority in Parliament. The party then had to look at working with other organisations to form a government that could command a majority.

The MK Party became one of the key players in those talks. Led by Zuma, it performed strongly, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that had long been one of the ANC’s strongest support bases. That result made the party a serious challenge to the ANC, so reaching out to Zuma was part of the effort to explore every possible arrangement with the parties in Parliament.

Even so, the relationship between the two sides stayed difficult. There were deep disagreements, as well as tension over the leadership of the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Against that background, Mbalula’s story adds a lighter note to a tense period. Zuma has long been known for his love of maskandi, a traditional Zulu music style, so the choice of music during the visit fits his public image.

The account does not say what was discussed in Nkandla or whether the visit achieved anything. It does show that even when talks involve major decisions about how the country is run, they can still produce unexpected and memorable moments.

As South Africans continue to look back at the negotiations that reshaped the political landscape, Mbalula’s story is likely to draw plenty of attention.

https://x.com/newslivesa/status/2119440660197449940

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