LISTEN | 'Western countries weakened the ANC': Jacob Zuma

MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has claimed “Western countries” weakened the ANC so it could be helped by other parties to govern, alleging secret discussions were held.

Zuma is set to fight his expulsion from the ANC. He was expelled after he formed and campaigned for the MK Party which stole the show with its performance in the recent elections.

Zuma, who held the ANC deputy secretary-general and national chairperson positions as South Africa transitioned to democracy, spoke about “decisions taken by Western countries” and how elections came about during that era in the country. “[Western countries] pushed the government that we should negotiate,” he said.

Zuma said Western countries had instructed the then government to negotiate or their power would be short-lived. “[They said] 'you have to agree that you must negotiate. We as the Western countries will not support you if you continue fighting, because if you are defeated, the communists will come in and take over this country. Our strategic point would have been gone.'” These were secret discussions, Zuma said.

Listen to Zuma:

Zuma would not reveal the Western countries he was referring to. He said they had warned “our job [as the West] would be to weaken the ANC because it is too big”.

He was speaking during the launch of the Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice this week on Robben Island. Zuma, who formed the MK Party last year, criticised small political parties formed recently saying they were causing disunity.

“We are separating ourselves every day, I don’t know how many political parties we have, what will that help us with? The more political parties we have, the more the majority reduces from us,” Zuma said.

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