Former President Jacob Zuma attends a rally of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G
Former President Jacob Zuma has vowed that his party, Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK), will oust its former political parent, the ANC, and has called on new party leaders eyeing a place in parliament. .
Mr Zuma was addressing thousands of party supporters at Soweto's Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. There, the MK party was holding its final rally ahead of the May 29 general election.
Supporters, who came by bus from different parts of the country (mainly his home province of KwaZulu-Natal), began arriving at the stadium early in the day, wearing MK party regalia and singing fight songs.
As planned, Mr Zuma arrived at least three hours after the program was scheduled to begin, accompanied by party members wearing what is commonly known as the military uniform of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the original military wing of the ANC. . Zuma's daughter Duduzil, who is set to lead the party after the election, also attended.
Prior to Zuma's arrival, the party entertained the crowd with notable acts such as Big Zulu and Mthandeni.
The veteran politician's arrival was met with loud cheers from thousands of supporters who had been waiting for his speech. Speakers who were called to the stage ahead of his speech were drowned out by the crowd one after another.
The stadium, which has a capacity of about 37,000, was nearly full by the time Zuma rose to speak. As is customary, the former ANC president began by belting out the popular song “Msini Wam.”
He began his speech by taking the audience down memory lane, talking about the country's history, including apartheid. His message centered in part on the role of traditional leaders in society, who had been stripped of power by the colonialists and whose authority and dignity would be restored under the MK party. He said he was deaf.
Mr Zuma said traditional leaders needed to be included as members of parliament and the role of judges needed to be reduced in order for traditional leaders to regain their right to hold tribal courts.
The MK party's stronghold is in KwaZulu-Natal, and the organization, which is expected to reduce the vote share of both the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party, has chosen to hold its final rally in Gauteng.
Party leaders who gave speeches email and guardian Ahead of his speech, Mr Zuma said this was part of a strategy to counter the theory that the MK party was formed along Zulu lines.
The party, which took its identity from the armed wing of the ANC, is based in Orlando, historically known as the area where the original Umkhonto Wisizwe was founded by struggle icon Nelson Mandela after the Sharpeville massacre. It is also noteworthy that he chose to hold his final rally in Bringing war to the apartheid system.
Mr Zuma took aim at the judiciary, saying judges were using their positions to settle scores with judges they disliked.
The former president has refused to be cross-examined at the State Capture Commission, putting him at odds with some members of the judiciary, including Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who was at the center of his conviction and imprisonment. Mr Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt by the Constitutional Court.
The state capture inquiry, chaired by Zondo, found that almost every sector in the state was suffocated by ANC leaders and left bankrupt during Zuma's presidency.
Mr Zuma said on Saturday that the MK party would ensure children from poor backgrounds could study for free. He added that parents who do not comply with this rule will be jailed to ensure that learners remain in school until graduation.
“Those who are determined to make this happen must vote for the MK party,” he said on isiZulu.
He criticized the recently booming political parties, accusing them of being more motivated by ambitions to become MPs than to fight for the poor.
“Too many political parties are extorting money from white people. Going to Congress is now a means to an end. We are too old to fight thieves, so we are spending our lives in old age with our grandchildren. “You should enjoy it,” he said.
Taking aim at his comrades within the MK party, Mr Zuma said those who wanted to be part of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would not become government ministers.
“We cannot all go to Parliament. We cannot simply think that just because we are in the NEC we will go to Parliament. There are many responsibilities awaiting us, not just Parliament,” he said. Told.
“We are not here for status, we are here to change the lives of black people. Some people think it's a step up. Some people think they're here for a position.
“We are aware of these trends, but they will never understand,” he said, adding that infighting has intensified, with some party members owning guns. “An NEC member cannot become a minister. One person has to promote the organization and the other person has to take on other responsibilities.”
Mr Zuma promised that the organization would pay NEC members handsomely to counter any greed they might have against the ministry.
“This organization will build factories to employ many people, and NEC people will be responsible for those factories. They will receive the same salary as ministers. Even if you want to join NEC I can't become a minister. We are working for the people in the true sense of the word.”
“We want to end the corruption caused by people who hold many positions in the government and the party. We don't want thieves in the MK party. We want to rebuild the country and We want peace and an end to poverty. We will eliminate those who sold our country one by one.”