JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Former president Jacob Zuma will not be voting for the ANC in the upcoming election — and will also not be campaigning for the party.
The former ANC president, who has been a member of the party for 64 years, said his conscience could no longer allow him to vote for “the current ANC”.
He made the announcement in Soweto on Saturday.
“In 2024 I will vote for Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party — it has already been registered with the IEC, with my knowledge and blessings.
“I have decided that I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of [president Cyril] Ramaphosa. It is not the ANC I joined, it will be a betrayal to campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa. My conscience will not allow that,” he said.
Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to make an announcement on Saturday regarding his political future.
“I call on all South Africa to join me in voting for the MK party, or any progressive party that seeks total liberation and the return of our land to its rightful owners. This government is led by sell-outs and apartheid collaborators,” said Zuma.
The former president listed several reasons for his decision to distance himself from the ANC — chief among which was that the ANC has been “reduced to an organisation that is hardly respected by those it sought to liberate”.
Zuma emphasised though, he would not be entirely deserting the party, saying: “I will die ANC.”
His announcement could be a blow to the party in his province of KwaZulu-Natal where the former president is still popular and was expected to play a significant role in campaigning for the ANC for the 2024 elections.
