South Africa’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party announced on Sunday its decision to join an alliance of smaller opposition parties in parliament. This move aims to challenge the coalition government led by the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The ANC and its main rival, the white-led, pro-business DA, agreed on Friday to form a coalition termed a “government of national unity,” marking a significant shift after 30 years of ANC rule.
In the May 29 election, former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party made a surprising showing, securing 14.6% of the vote and 58 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, leading to the ANC losing its majority. However, MK lawmakers boycotted the National Assembly’s first sitting on Friday after the country’s top court dismissed their complaint of vote-rigging as without merit.
Speaking on behalf of Zuma, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela announced that the MK party would join an alliance called the “Progressive Caucus,” which includes the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the center-left United Democratic Movement. Ndhlela, sitting next to a coughing Zuma who answered questions after the statement, noted that this alliance controls close to 30% of the National Assembly seats.
“This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also resulted in the consolidation of right-wing and reactionary forces who are opposed to economic freedom, radical economic transformation, racial equality, and land repossession,” he said.
Ndhlela confirmed that MK would take up its seats in the National Assembly based on legal advice and continue to pursue its allegations of election rigging in parliament and the courts. The Independent Electoral Commission has maintained that the election was free and fair.
Zuma criticized the unity government, which includes the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance, describing it as “meaningless” and a “white-led unholy alliance.”
(Reuters)
