A potential legal battle is brewing between Jacob Zuma, the former president and leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), and his old political home, the African National Congress (ANC), following an unsuccessful bid to reverse his expulsion from the party. This marks yet another dramatic twist in Zuma’s ongoing saga with the ANC, a party he joined at the age of 16 and led for a decade, but now finds himself at odds with under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal (NDCA) recently upheld the decision of its lower disciplinary body, solidifying Zuma’s permanent expulsion from the party. The expulsion, which took place in July, comes on the back of Zuma’s vocal support for the MKP, a party he founded after leaving the ANC amid growing tensions within its ranks.
Zuma’s brother, Khanya Zuma, has spoken out in his sibling’s defense, expressing disbelief at the decision. “My brother is fighting for the party he worked so hard for, not to be destroyed,” Khanya told the Daily News, hinting at the possibility of a legal challenge. “I don’t know if he’s going to take the party to court, but we haven’t discussed it since his appeal was turned down,” he added. Khanya, who once was a member of the ANC before following his brother into the MKP, suggested that Zuma would fight this expulsion to the end. “Msholozi will make sure the ANC doesn’t fall into the hands of sellouts,” he said, using Zuma’s clan name.
Sources close to Zuma suggest that he is preparing for a legal showdown with the ANC. Two confidantes have confirmed that the former president is planning to take his case to court, with Ramaphosa likely to be named as the first respondent in the legal papers. “Zuma is determined to exploit all available legal avenues to reclaim his membership. This is part of his broader strategy to rescue the ANC from those he sees as bent on destroying it,” said one of the insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Zuma’s removal from the ANC came shortly after the party’s disastrous performance in the May 29 national elections, in which it plummeted from 58% to a mere 40% of the vote. At the same time, Zuma’s MKP surged, garnering 14% of the national vote and dominating KwaZulu-Natal with 45%, positioning it as the province’s largest political force.
For Zuma, the formation of the MKP is more than just an exit from the ANC; it is a declaration of war against the party he once led. “He is definitely going to take the ANC to court. It is part of his broad political strategy,” said another source close to the former president. His move to challenge his expulsion legally could be part of an effort to weaken the ANC’s position further while mobilizing disgruntled former members and voters who feel alienated by the party’s current direction.
The JG Zuma Foundation issued a statement reiterating Zuma’s rejection of the ANC’s authority to expel him. “President Zuma strongly rejects the notion that the ANC, under President Ramaphosa’s leadership, has the right to expel him from the movement to which he has dedicated his life,” the statement read. It also hinted at consultations with Zuma’s legal team, his representative Tony Yengeni, and key political allies, suggesting that a public decision on the next steps would follow in the coming days.
In response to Zuma’s latest moves, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri dismissed the issue as settled. “The matter of Mr. Jacob Zuma is behind us,” she said, adding that by forming and leading a rival political party, Zuma had abandoned the core values of loyalty and accountability. “He has converted himself into a tool for destabilization,” Bhengu-Motsiri added.
But the ANC’s words did little to silence the growing discontent within its ranks. Political analysts suggest that Zuma’s defiance challenges the current leadership’s legitimacy. Professor Sipho Seepe argued that Zuma’s push to remain in the ANC serves to cast doubt on Ramaphosa’s leadership, especially in the face of growing frustrations over economic mismanagement and party infighting. “Despite being led by a billionaire, ANC members have struggled with unpaid salaries. This tension is not going away,” Seepe said.
Zuma’s critics, however, argue that his attempts to remain within the ANC are rooted in denialism and reflect deep-seated divisions within the party. Dr. Ongama Mtika, a political analyst, described Zuma’s ongoing struggle as “illogical,” given that he has already founded a political rival in the MKP. “Any kingdom divided against itself will fall,” Mtika said, alluding to the deepening rift within the ANC. “Zuma’s actions are the culmination of years of internal strife.”
For now, Zuma’s future in the ANC remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the political drama surrounding the former president is far from over. His next moves could reshape the political landscape in ways that the ANC and Ramaphosa might find difficult to control.
As Zuma weighs his options, the nation watches closely. His challenge against the ANC could either ignite a legal and political firestorm or simply fizzle out as another chapter in the former president’s contentious relationship with his former party. Regardless of the outcome, Zuma’s fight is set to dominate South African politics for the foreseeable future.
