South Africa: Jacob Zuma officially expelled from the ANC
Former South African President Jacob Zuma was officially expelled on Sunday from the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party he had been a member of for 60 years. The decision was made and announced in a statement by the party’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), which found Zuma guilty on two charges of misconduct and undermining the integrity of Nelson Mandela’s party.
The charges stem from Zuma’s announcement on December 16, 2023, that he would neither campaign for nor vote for the ANC in the national and provincial elections held on May 29. Zuma was also accused of creating a new political party named « uMkhonto weSizwe » (MK), after the ANC’s former military wing. « The accused member is expelled from the ANC and has the right to appeal to the National Disciplinary Committee within 21 days, » the NDC stated in its verdict.
In response, MK party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela stated they did not consider the NDC’s findings as a decision, as Zuma’s legal team had not been informed. « At this stage, we have seen a document circulating, and it would be very disappointing if it is authentic and reflects the true decision « , he said.
Jacob Zuma is the second heavyweight of the radical economic transformation movement to be expelled from the ANC. Former Secretary-General Ace Magashule was also expelled for the alleged embezzlement of funds from a government contract worth over $13 million when he was Premier of the Free State province before becoming the ANC’s top administrative official.
In the recent legislative elections, the African National Congress lost its majority in Parliament for the first time in 30 years, securing only 40% of the votes. Weakened in this election, the ANC was forced to form alliances with other political parties to establish a national unity government.
