uMkhonto we Sizwe (political party)
Political party in South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
uMkhonto weSizwe (English: Spear of the Nation), abbreviated as MK, and often referred to as the MK Party, is a left-wing populist[3][8] South African political party, founded in December 2023. The party is named after uMkhonto we Sizwe (also shortened to MK), the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC) during apartheid. However, the ANC has threatened legal action over the usage of the name,[13] and the formation has been criticised by original MK veterans.[14]
uMkhonto weSizwe Spear of the Nation | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | MK |
Leader | Jacob Zuma[1] |
Governing body | Interim National Committee[2] |
Secretary General | Sihle Ngubane[2] |
Deputy Secretary General | Arthur Zwane[2] |
Treasurer General | Danisa Zulu[2] |
National Organiser | Nkosinathi Nhleko[2] |
Founded | December 2023; 5 months ago (December 2023)[3] |
Registered | 7 September 2023; 8 months ago (7 September 2023)[4][5] |
Split from | African National Congress |
Ideology | |
Political position | Left-wing[11][12] |
National Assembly | 0 / 400 |
National Council of Provinces | 0 / 90 |
Pan-African Parliament | 0 / 5 (South African seats) |
Provincial Legislatures | 0 / 430 |
Website | |
mkparty | |
The party rose to prominence in December 2023, when former president Jacob Zuma announced that, while planning to remain a lifelong member of the ANC, he would not be campaigning for the ANC in the 2024 South African general election, and would instead be voting for MK.[15] He stated that "I cannot and will not" campaign for the ANC of current president Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma's successor, and that to do so would be a "betrayal".[16][17]