UMkhonto Wesizwe party has moved to downplay divisions in its ranks despite obvious tensions including parallel structures and public spats involving its top leaders.
The party held a media briefing in Johannesburg on Monday during which it battled to explain its inability to discipline the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma who now leads the relatively new political outfit.
Secretary General Floyd Shivambu led proceedings at the media briefing was at pains to explain why the party hasn’t taken any action against Duduzile Zuma Sambudla who went on an onslaught against him on X calling him incompetent among other things.
Secretary General Nombuso Mkhize battled to explain the party position Indicating that Zuma allowed the party to take action against “any member” found to have behaved in a manner that violates the MK constitution.
Mkhize said on the aftermath of the late night attack on Shivambu by Duduzile the party’s High Command ( highest decision making structure after Zuma) met to discuss and “seek guidance” from Zuma whom she said directed that anyone found in the wrong be subjected to disciplinary action.
Shivambu was even more evasive merely announcing that two individuals who served in the National Council of Provinces and the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
Shivambu however did concede that individual members’ proximity to Zuma was causing tensions in the party.
“ The culture or sub culture of going to President Zuma and then coming back and saying he said this and that which causes problems. Imagine taking a taxi from Limpopo all the way to Kwadakwa adunuse ( Zuma’s home village in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal) and the President will meet anybody, anyone you can think of, you can ask so when people get there they start raising party issues and that leadership they would be talking about would not always be there to respond. Some would even take a picture and when they get to caucus in parliament or legislature they will use that picture to bully others and do wrong things always saying I was with the President, I know most of the time is done with good intentions but sometimes it’s done with bad intentions,” said Shivambu.
Shivambu also underplayed Duduzile’s personal attacks on him saying it comes with the territory.
“ personally, as Secretary General I am not angry at anyone and would not respond to such attacks because when I accepted the responsibility I knew what it meant including that there will be all manner of things thrown at you so I am not angry at anyone and I don’t hold grudges,” he said.
Among allegations levelled at Shivambu by Zuma-Sambudla and her supporters who instigated the attacks on the former EFF Deputy President includes that he’s divisive, was appointing his loyalists who followed him from the red berets as part of a bid to takeover the party but Shivambu is adamant he never made any decisions alone.
“ it is not true that we sit somewhere and take decisions or appoint people because they are loyal to us personally, it has never happened. All the decisions and appointments we made we made as a collective leadership and at all times with the approval of President Zuma,” said Shivambu warning that a divided MK would lose the support of the public.
Meanwhile MK also announced it will meet with the faction led by Marry Phadi in Mpumalanga which has been operating parallel to MK led by former Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Mkhwebane was picked to replace Phadu as Provincial Convener following the latter’s expulsion from the party, a decision she challenged in court.