The ANC on Monday said its former president Jacob Zuma, who now leads the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), is no longer a member of the party after he failed to respond within 21 days to appeal his expulsion.
Acting ANC national spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi confirmed that the ANC – a party that Zuma led as president for 10 years between 2007 and 2017 – had by Sunday not received an appeal from Zuma, and as per the party’s process he was no longer an ANC member.
Godlimpi said according to the ANC constitution there is no other avenue available to Zuma.
“We have not heard anything from our national disciplinary committee (NDC) of appeals about an appeal lodged by Zuma. He is already expelled. Right now there is no other avenue available to him in terms of the ANC constitution to appeal the expulsion,” said Godlimpi.
Zuma was expelled from the ANC on July 29, after the the party’s NDC found him guilty on two charges of misconduct.
The charges are in relation to the announcement Zuma made on December 16 that he would not be campaigning nor voting for the ANC in the May 29 national and provincial elections.
Zuma was also charged for his role in the registration of the MKP as a political party, and giving it his blessing.
“I have decided that I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa in 2024. My conscience will not allow me to lie to the people of South Africa,” Zuma said on December 16.
He added that even though he had decided to vote for the newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party he “will die a member of the ANC”.
According to the ANC’s NDC, Zuma was charged for contravening rule 25.17 of the ANC constitution.
The result of the May 29 elections saw the ANC lose its majority in KwaZulu-Natal due to the MKP, dropping from 54% to 17%, and it was subsequently dethroned from the political top seat in the province.
In its maiden general election the eight-month-old MKP won 58 seats of the 400 in the National Assembly, and 37 in the 80-seater provincial legislature in KZN.
Musa Mkhize, an MKP member of the KZN legislature, said the chances of Zuma appealing his expulsion are slim.
“What I can say is that ubaba (Zuma) is fully committed and focused on the strengthening the MKP, as you have seen we just scored big with Floyd (Shivambu), he (Zuma) is not preoccupied with appealing his expulsion,” said Mkhize.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said that Zuma had left the ANC a long time ago, and all that was outstanding was for the ANC to make the announcement.
“The man left a long time ago. His expulsion does not change the colour of the water. Zuma felt unhappy in the ANC and decided to go where he will be happy, whether he appeals his expulsion or not it does not matter, the relationship with the ANC is gone,” said Seepe.
The Mercury