Zuma Fights to Stay in ANC — “They Won’t Silence Me!”
DESPITE leading an opposition party that significantly challenged the ANC in elections, Jacob Zuma remains steadfast in his loyalty.
He said he’s not prepared to let go of the ruling party he once led.
On Thursday, 26 June, Zuma confirmed that he has launched another legal application in the High Court to overturn what he describes as the “unlawful termination” of his ANC membership.
The announcement comes as Mzansi commemorates the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, a symbolic moment for the former liberation movement.
Zuma was expelled from the ANC in 2024 after he formed the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party and actively campaigned against his former party in the general elections.
The MK party went on to strip the ANC of a parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994, pushing it into a coalition arrangement through a Government of National Unity (GNU).
MK party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed that Zuma is taking legal action against ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC to set aside his expulsion from the party after more than six decades of membership.
Ndhlela said the move marks a continuation of Zuma’s commitment to the “real ANC” and the ideals of leaders such as Oliver Tambo, Albert Luthuli, and Nelson Mandela.
“President Zuma is on record saying that his membership of the real ANC cannot be erased by sell-outs and DA puppets like Ramaphosa and [ANC secretary-general] Fikile Mbalula,” Ndhlela stated.
He said Zuma’s expulsion followed a “kangaroo court process” led by the ANC of Ramaphosa, which he claimed has strayed far from the liberation principles that shaped the party.
“It was indeed the sell-out tendencies of these traitors which led to the formation of the MK party on 16 December 2023.
“And the removal of the ANC from power five months later in the May 2024 elections,” he said.
Ndhlela highlighted that the decision to file court papers on the anniversary of the Freedom Charter was symbolic and aimed at reminding South Africans of the ANC’s alleged departure from its founding principles.
He criticised the ANC’s involvement in the current GNU, describing it as a “grand coalition with right-wing forces.”
“The so-called GNU is a betrayal of the people. It has reversed even the small gains achieved since 1994,” he said.
Ndhlela reiterated the MK party’s support for Zuma, adding that the party’s constitution permits dual membership under exceptional and strategic circumstances.
“Section 5A(13) of the MK party Constitution makes provision for dual membership with approval from national structures, and president Zuma’s case qualifies under those grounds,” he explained.
He said the court challenge is not only about Zuma’s rights but also about paving the way for unity among black South Africans in the ongoing struggle for land and economic liberation.
“Only once our people have been reunited, by any means necessary, can we talk of victory in the struggle for total liberation in our country, our continent, and the diaspora.”
