ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula likened members of his party who joined Umkhonto weSizwe Party as dodgy.
Mbalula said this while addressing members of the ANC at the party’s rally in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend.
“The truth is that those who have joined Umkhonto ka former President Zuma are all characters that were a problem in our movement, and now Zuma has built them a home.
“Jacob Zuma can start his own political party, but he cannot steal what belongs to the ANC and try to make it his own thing,” ANC SG said.
Mbalula said the organisation was working on bringing back the name “Umkhonto weSizwe”, adding that Zuma can own his political party without stealing the ANC’s trademark.
“We did not fight with Msholozi. If he wants to come back, the ANC is home,” he exclaimed.
Mbalula said this in the backdrop of his party’s petitioning of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to reverse the registration of the new MK Party.
The matter between these two parties is due to be ventilated at the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein on March 19.
The ANC SG alluded that all those who were working against the movement would not be kept around but would instead be dealt with.
He said doing so would be in the interest of the ANC as well as safeguarding it from enemies.
“We will defend the ANC and the gains of our revolution. Zuma is not our enemy; he is just assisting the enemy. Even those in opposition parties are saying that what he is doing is assisting them destroy the ANC.
“Those who are assisting the enemy of our revolution can continue doing what they are doing, however they must know that they will not win this battle,” Mbalula emphasised.
Mbalula guaranteed the party’s foes that his organisation would be victorious under the leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa in the upcoming general elections.
“The ANC will be victorious under Ramaphosa. We will all meet on the 24th of February at Moses Mabhida Stadium to defend the gains of our freedom and those of our glorious movement.
“The ANC is the future and inheritance of our children and many generations to come. Those who are trying to destroy the ANC do not know what type of battle they are trying to get into,” a confident SG told party supporters.
Speaking at the rally, Zuma’s nemesis Police Minister Bheki Cele, accused Zuma of being a power monger.
“The way Zuma likes positions, he even looks for them in the mud. I won’t be surprised to see Zuma becoming a councillor,” Cele said.
The MK Party has been a headache for the ruling party since its inception.
Recently, the party has proven to be popular among South Africans with the secret poll giving it a thumbs up as the party that was likely termed to cause a major blow to the ruling party in the secret poll which revealed that the MK Party’s support was big enough to cause serious damage in the upcoming general elections.
The Star
Sipho Jack