MK Party and ANC’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) celebrations are likely to clash in December as they share the same anniversary date.
Over the years, the ANC has used December 16 to celebrate the formation of its disbanded military wing, MK, which fought against the apartheid government. This year will mark MK’s 63rd anniversary.
Jacob Zuma's establishment of the MK Party (MKP) on December 16 means the two parties celebrate anniversaries on the same day.
MK Party will hold its first anniversary celebration on December 15 at Moses Mabhida Stadium. The party will also have a “prestigious” gala dinner at the Olive Convention Centre on December 16, with the most expensive ticket costing R2m to dine with Zuma and other MKP leaders.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, MKP member advocate Dali Mpofu said the party planned to have celebrations across the country to celebrate strides made in their first election.
MKP broke a 30-year record when it contested national and provincial elections for the first time in the May 29 elections and attained more than 2-million votes. Since 1994, no new South African party had attained more than 2-million votes in its first election run.
ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (COPE) in 2009 received 1,311,027 votes a few months after it was founded by Mosiuoa Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George. The EFF in its first national election in 2014 received 1,169,259 votes. The DA contesting in its first national election in 2004 received 1,931,201 ballots.
“We are talking about a baby in terms of politics which had to learn fast because the people of South Africa gave it such an overwhelming mandate, something unprecedented. There's no party that entered politics and attained almost 15% [of the vote] in fact it doubled the record that was set by COPE in 2009 which got 7%,” Mpofu said.
Aside from ANC and MK Party's battle for the country's attention, December is a hive of activities with several parties planning events and conferences.
The EFF will hold its third elective conference, the National Peoples' Assembly, from December 12-15 at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
The SACP will hold its special national congress from December 11-14 in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
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