Former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is way ahead of the ANC in terms of political strategy, political analyst Professor Andre Duvenage says.
Duvenage said this is because Zuma knows the inner-workings of the ANC, its strategy, and tactics, more especially when it came to politics.
He said the former president still has influential people within the ANC’s political circles, which are more comprehensive than the party and the party in government.
“I have no doubt that he also has the support of the international forces, with Russia as interesting factor and, yes, he is in a way ahead of the ANC strategies and I think he’s giving them a lot of a headache.
“This can be proven by the recent by-election results of Mpumalanga, one can tell that a three-month-old party will give some a run for their money,” Duvenage emphasised.
However, ANC military veteran and former MK commander, Mojaki Keoabetsoe Mojaki, rejected claims that Zuma was ahead of the governing party in political strategy.
Mojaki said that Zuma was an ardent chess player who had made his move when he pronounce on December 16 that he would not be campaigning and voting for the ANC, adding that the silence of the organisation frustrated his next move.
“The option left for him was to go and canvass for his new political party.
“And he threw last dice to paint the ANC in Cyril Ramaphosa’s character. That was actually a foiled move as the nation now realised that he is a tribalist and not a revolutionary,” he explained.
He further said that true revolutionaries never judge their achievements through losses of their enemies.
“It is not how your enemies failed to do things but how you made them fail to do them that depicts revolutionary moves. Jacob Zuma has exposed himself to have been the brain behind the formation of MK Party. He anticipated rejection from the ANC president on his justice game.
“(Zuma always regarded his criminal charges as a game. He calls for his day in court and use every tricks to procrastinate that day. This is playing for the gallery and not the people. It is shouting not to send any message but to hear your own voice.
“There is nothing that indicates that Jacob Zuma is driving any political agenda aimed at empowering motive forces. He doesn't even have a Constitution that is independent and progressive outside the ANC paradigm.
“He plagiarised the ANC Constitution and yet claims to save the ANC and empower the deprived. And of late he played his trump card,” Mojaki said.
The former MK commander said the Zuma was now resorting to changing the country’s justice system, which according to him remained a thorn in his flesh.
“No, Jacob Zuma is not fighting the ANC. He has no punch to throw at the ANC. Therefore, he is neither a step forward nor backward that we can talk about.
“The anger and frustration he has for the ANC is that of failing to have a president that would squash his criminal cases.
“He had hoped his wife would be the president and bury his crimes forever. Then he banked on Zweli Mkhize to bail him out. Things didn't turn his way and hence these shenanigan manoeuvres. The ANC has nothing to do with his crimes.”
On whether the ANC had left former president in the political wilderness, which drove him to campaign for the MK Party, Mojaki said Zuma has never been in the political wilderness.
He continued to explain that as members, they joined the ANC as individuals without any expectations for material or personal gains.
“We offer our skills, experience, and expertise to serve the ANC. This is taken for granted and not used correctly. People join the ANC not to use their intellect, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources to advance the ANC ideology and improve people’s lives.
“Instead of serving the ANC they literally expect the ANC to serve them. Jacob Zuma is one such person.
“He mortgaged the ANC to the Guptas. He solicited bribes and favours for personal reasons using the ANC name,” he added.
Attempts to get a comment from the MK Party’s spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela were unsuccessful.
The Star