By: Briht Ntuli
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party says it does not agree with former president Thabo Mbeki’s claims that the party was created by counter-revolutionary forces linked to apartheid-era security structures.
Responding to Mbeki’s recent remarks, the party said the former president had provided no evidence to support his assertions and described them as unfounded and misleading.
The MK Party argued that Mbeki’s comments were an attempt to avoid what it described as a political reality, namely that millions of South Africans have chosen to withdraw their support from the African National Congress (ANC) after years of dissatisfaction with governance, corruption and economic decline.
The party added that it is neither a secretive nor an anti-democratic project, but rather the outcome of citizens exercising their constitutional right to political choice. It said its formation reflects growing public demand for alternative political leadership ahead of the country’s national elections.
The MK Party, founded by former president Jacob Zuma, has emerged as a significant new force in South Africa’s political landscape. It has drawn support largely from disaffected ANC voters, and its rapid rise has intensified debate within the governing party and among liberation movement veterans about the future direction of South African politics.
