Charisma, clout not enough to sustain MK Party

Thembile Ndabeni

The cheaper the politics the more difficult it becomes to make sense of some of the issues.

Nobody can predict everything about politics. Even if you could wake Albert Einstein, he would not be able tell us what would happen to this political being or party tomorrow.

Many in this country would remember when Julius Malema said: “I will die for Zuma”. He went further and said that the History curriculum must be revised to incorporate Jacob Zuma as a martyr.

Then he formed a political party that did not just challenge Zuma in Parliament but degraded, humiliated, and belittled him.

History is not only about the dead or past. But part of its definition is being one best aspect as a point of reference. Which is why some people will say that “history repeats itself”.

There can be an argument on why Jabulani Khumalo was not the MK Party president? Whether you like the make-up of the party or not, you must give credit where it is due. There is dynamism in the formation or shaping up of the MK Party. From the onset the founder did not feature, or feature well, but high-profile names were that of the heavyweights like Mogoeng Mogoeng and later Jacob Zuma.

Whether that is a principle, strategy, or tactic it does not matter. What matters is that it is a good lesson for people in general, especially those who are less informed about both history and politics.

What the MK Party did was not new but was done by the first two big liberation movements in South Africa, the ANC and the PAC.

The outstanding founders of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later renamed the ANC, were Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, Alfred Mangena, Richard Msimang and George Montsioa, but none of them became founding president.

Seme became a president later, 5th president. The same applies with the PAC. The people who were in the forefront in the formation of the PAC were Potlako “PK” Leballo and Josias Madzunya. None of them were founding presidents. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe became the founding president. Leballo became one later.

In fact, Leballo was appointed by Sobukwe when he was imprisoned and therefore could not lead. By the way, Peter Mda, who was never involved at all in the founding of the party, was the first one to be approached but turned down the offer.

Therefore, the handing over of the MK Party presidency to Zuma might have been a progressive step, either as a principle because he is an experienced leader, or a strategy or tactic to lure support given his popularity. On the contrary, it could be argued that this changed to a camel story where a camel was allowed to just put its head inside but ended up putting its entire body and throwing the owner of the tent outside.

At this stage quantity is about winning the elections. Then after elections? From the look of things, the MK Party is not built from quality material and some claim it was “stolen” therefore the latter can be “taken” back at any time. Even with the battles, it depends which ones you win, weak or strong, and how many you win.

Charisma, clout, and culture can draw you support but will not sustain the organisation.

Zuma is already in someone’s pocket, Louis Liebenberg, as he was with the Guptas, what about that?

“Who pays the piper calls the tune”. The Guptas proved that. The latest was that the IEC is asking the police to speedily probe allegations of fraudulent signatures made against the MKP.

Then came the latest and probably the worst – the expulsion of Khumalo.

Is it really the camel story and the creation of the “Zuma Dynasty” and looting spree?

Maybe it was premature for IFP leader Hlabisa to smile because the ANC is going to be weakened. If that will happen it will not be as severe as he expects and only during the election. The ANC must wait for the return of their misled members. Is this a last mile or a last smile for Zuma?

Or is it the beginning of the end of the MK Party, or both? What goes around comes around. The leopard never changes its spots.

* Ndabeni is a former history tutor at UWC and a former teacher at Bulumko Senior Secondary School in Khayelitsha.

Cape Times