Leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe party, former president Jacob Zuma, has addressed thousands of supporters in Durban, where the political outfit launched its youth league during an event to commemorate Youth Day.
Zuma stated that when he announced the formation of the MK party, he recognised that the youth would be central to its operations and mission.
“On 15 December (2023) when I made an announcement and I said those who I was part of, were fighting for freedom, and they have moved off the road. I said I am establishing this party. But I said something else that I would say on a different day.
“I said we want to take the elections and win them, and rule this country, as we said we are going to. I would not have died before I see the correct and indeed the freedom that we have spoken about.
“When I made the announcement, I knew that at the heart of the revolution is the youth in fact. It is the youth that are at the heart of succeeding in whatever we do. I am very happy that today I can say without hesitation that the youth of this country is on the road to liberate this country,” he said.
The MK party leader added that the “freedom” is not very far.
Zuma said he believes it is the youth of South Africa who must lead the campaign in speaking out against the problems bedevilling the citizens.
“I don’t think we should keep quiet and wait that until there is an occasion bla bla bla. We are still oppressed but the oppression of this time is at another level, and we should not accept it,” he said.
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“The youth is here. When we started, we knew that we could not do everything in one day. We have the youth (league) now. The youth have a role to play in history.”
Zuma said when the African National Congress (ANC) it was the youth league which took the revolution to greater heights.
Moving onto internal MK party matters, Zuma said the party is not beholden to anyone, and no one will be begged to stay.
“Let us not take this organisation as an organisation that you come to make money. This is not the organisation to make money. It is an organisation to liberate South Africa, this one,” said Zuma.
“That is why, if you look seriously, you realise that if we have one of us who goes out of the way, we do not beg them. Let me just tell you, it is now seven people who have occupied the position of secretary general, because we are not playing. Even if you think you are big, you have a huge following or whatever, we don’t care, we talk about our party.”
A week ago, reported that Floyd Shivambu has been removed as the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party’s secretary-general.
At a press briefing hosted in Durban, the MK party said this comes after an investigation into Shivambu’s trip to Malawi to visit fugitive pastor, Shepherd Bushiri’s Jesus Nation Church, which was found to be against the party’s constitution.
A statement on behalf of Zuma was read by Nathi Nhleko, the party’s national organiser.
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