ANC Not Afraid of Zandile Gumede’s MKP Move Ahead of eThekwini Election Battle

The ANC in eThekwini has stated it is unfazed by the move of Zandile Gumede to Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), despite some within the party suggesting she could be a key contender in the upcoming local government elections. Gumede, a former mayor of Durban, left the ANC in July after joining the MKP, raising concerns about her potential impact on the ANC’s stronghold in the region. However, officials from the ANC have dismissed such fears, emphasizing the party’s institutional strength over individual figures. Gumede, who served as mayor of Durban from 2014 until her removal in August 2019, was arrested in May 2019 over corruption allegations related to the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender. Her position was stripped following her arrest, though she retained popularity within ANC ranks, evidenced by her supporters attending court hearings in her defense. In 2022, she was re-elected to the ANC’s eThekwini regional council, indicating continued influence within the party. Her departure to the MKP came amid rumors that Zuma intended to make her a mayoral candidate in eThekwini, citing her potential to challenge the ANC’s dominance. Thanduxolo Sabelo, the ANC eThekwini task team coordinator, described Gumede as “politically dormant” and noted that she had not been actively engaged in politics for seven years. According to Sabelo, the ANC has always functioned as an organization rather than relying on individual leaders, a stance he claimed was consistent with the party’s history since its founding in 1912. He argued that Gumede’s lack of political activity rendered her an ineffective threat to the ANC’s electoral prospects. Meanwhile, the MKP’s KwaZulu-Natal convener, Willies Mchunu, downplayed speculation that Gumede would serve as the party’s mayoral candidate in eThekwini. He stated that the choice would ultimately rest with Zuma and the party’s Secretary-General, Sibonelo Nomvalo. Other ANC members who defected to the MKP alongside Gumede included Mondli Mthembu, her former deputy chairperson in the ANC and former head of the Human Settlement Committee, and Stanley Moonsamy, a former eThekwini councillor. The situation has also seen the African Transformation Movement (ATM) severing ties with the MKP. At a media briefing in Durban, the ATM’s Secretary-General, Thandisizwe Khukula, clarified that while discussions about a political alliance had occurred, no formal agreement was reached. The ATM will instead contest the upcoming elections independently, rejecting claims of a close relationship with the MKP. Khukula also refuted reports that Zuma had influenced the formation of the ATM, stating that the party was established in 2018 by Professor Caesar Nongqungqa, a leader of the 12th Apostolic Church. The ATM’s decision comes amid broader political tensions, including ongoing legal battles regarding the impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa. During the same briefing, the party’s Parliament caucus leader, Vuyo Zungula, explained the rationale behind the appeal against a court ruling that allowed Ramaphosa to delay the impeachment process. Zungula argued that the court had incorrectly permitted the president to block parliamentary functions, undermining the legislature’s role in holding the executive accountable. The legal dispute stems from a 2022 report by Judge Sandile Ngcobo, which implicated Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala scandal involving financial misconduct. The report was intended to initiate the impeachment process, but the ANC-led Parliament blocked the formation of a committee to investigate the matter. In May, the Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament had acted improperly and ordered the impeachment process to proceed. Two of the three judges in the latest ruling supported Ramaphosa’s request to suspend the process pending further review, adding complexity to the ongoing legal battle.