I’m no ANC member, says Doctor Khumalo after being spotted on campaign trail in ANC gear

Despite being pictured wearing a shirt and bucket hat bearing the ANC emblem, Bafana Bafana soccer legend Doctor Khumalo on Thursday said he was not campaigning for the governing party when he joined ANC veteran Tokyo Sexwale’s door-to-door election campaign in Dube, Soweto, this week. 

Khumalo has been in the spotlight since pictures surfaced on Wednesday.

“I was not campaigning for the ANC. Campaigning is like luring and telling people to vote for a particular party and I was not doing that. When Tokyo invited me, I decided to go because I come from Dube. People on social media then made assumptions about me,” Khumalo told TimesLIVE.

I am not affiliated to any party. I told the ANC leaders I was not campaigning, I told them they need to fix the problems people face if they want votes

—  Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo

He has a sports development tournament, Doctor Khumalo Ultimate Champions Tournament, in Soweto. In March his tournament partnered with the Gauteng sports, arts and culture department to host games in Dube.

Though he wore an ANC T-shirt, he said he was not affiliated nor a member of any political party. The T-shirt was a gesture in honouring the invite. 

“I am not affiliated with any party. I told the ANC leaders I was not campaigning, I told them they need to fix the problems people face if they want votes.”

The former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder was not happy, saying footballers tend to be attacked when involved or commenting about politics. He linked this to the criticism of Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena when he said EFF leader Julius Malema was his “favourite president in South Africa” during the team's welcome after the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in February. 

“We have the same constitutional rights as everyone. It is not OK for people to attack us whenever we speak about politics.” 

Meanwhile, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula posted an old ANC election poster with a black and white photograph of Khumalo holding an ID book with a caption reading: “I've got my ID, get yours and vote for freedom.” The poster was published in 1994.

The ANC has been intensifying its election campaign with party veterans, including former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe and former deputy president David Mabuza joining the campaign for the May 29 elections.

Mbalula's post sparked debate on social media. Here are some reactions: