By Sihle Mavuso
Paranoia and a fear that spies linked to the ANC could still sabotage the Umkhonto Wesizwe party have forced party leaders to decide against holding an elective conference.
There is no clear timeframe but the conference is expected to be in the distant future.
The party said it wanted to do background checks and vet anyone who launches a branch of the MK party.
Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said: “You have seen what happened leading up to the [29 May] elections. People were being bought. We don’t want to have the same problems. That’s why we need to take our time to ensure that we vet every single person who forms a branch; that’s where the problem starts.”
Ndlela said the party was aware that some people were waiting to buy delegates so that they could elect leaders they could control in future to hijack the party.
“The branches are bought, and before you know it, they are influenced to identify, nominate, and appoint a president of their own. And that president himself is probably being influenced by outside individuals. Certain of our rallies, we know, were funded by ANC people.”
The MK party is no stranger to claims that spies could sabotage it. Zuma fired and expelled the party’s founder Jabulani Khumalo and accused him of being an ANC spy.
Speaking outside the Durban High Court on Thursday, Ndhlela said the party wants to build structures and focus on growing its membership.
“So, we don’t want those ANC tendencies here. What is important is to set up our structures as an organisation; we need to professionalise our organisation. Remember, we are only six months old, but look at what we have done,” Ndlela said.
The MK party has been taken to court by the ANC which wants the courts to stop Zuma’s party from using the logo and the name of the ANC’s former military wing, Umkhonto weSizwe.
Judgment was however reserved in the case involving the copyright of the MK name and logo.
Pictured above: MK supporters outside the court.
Source: Sihle Mavuso
