Zuma announced at the weekend he will no longer vote or campaign for the party he once led and has been a member of for more than six decades. Instead he will vote for the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in next year’s elections. However, he pledged to die an ANC member.
Mtimka said Zuma’s behaviour is in contravention of ANC rules, but the party in KwaZulu-Natal has been strategic in responding to the announcement.
“I have decided I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of [president Cyril] Ramaphosa. It is not the ANC I joined, it will be a betrayal to campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa. My conscience will not allow that,” Zuma said as he called for South Africans to vote for the MK party.
On Monday the ANC in KZN responded by saying Zuma served the party divorce papers.
“We have noted what he has said, what he has announced, and that is as far as we are prepared to go at this time,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in response to the announcement.
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LISTEN | Zuma’s ‘not voting ANC’ will affect party: analyst Ongama Mtimka
Underestimating former president Jacob Zuma’s announcement that he won’t be voting for the ANC would be foolhardy, says political analyst Dr Ongama Mtimka.
Listen to Mtimka's analysis:
Zuma announced at the weekend he will no longer vote or campaign for the party he once led and has been a member of for more than six decades. Instead he will vote for the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in next year’s elections. However, he pledged to die an ANC member.
Mtimka said Zuma’s behaviour is in contravention of ANC rules, but the party in KwaZulu-Natal has been strategic in responding to the announcement.
“I have decided I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of [president Cyril] Ramaphosa. It is not the ANC I joined, it will be a betrayal to campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa. My conscience will not allow that,” Zuma said as he called for South Africans to vote for the MK party.
On Monday the ANC in KZN responded by saying Zuma served the party divorce papers.
“We have noted what he has said, what he has announced, and that is as far as we are prepared to go at this time,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in response to the announcement.
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