MK will die with Jacob Zuma

Political analyst Prince Mashele said people who are scared of the MK Party are scared of the dead lion.

Mashele is one of South Africa’s best-known political commentators and has written for the Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Business Day, and Sowetan.

He is also a sought-after political consultant and has been a speechwriter for the South African Presidency and the Pan-African Parliament.

Mashele is a former Senior Research Fellow at GovInn and served as executive director of the Centre for Politics and Research.

Speaking to the Truth Report podcast, Mashele said the party’s leader, Jacob Zuma, is 84 years old, which does not give him many years.

“Jacob Zuma is a human. He will depart from this earth. When he was President, he did not solve the problems of this country,” he said.

“He is now talking about giving land to black people and empowering them. Why did he not give land to black people and empower them when he was President?”

Mashele added that there is no real MK Party with proper structures and processes. Instead, it is a family affair.

He added that the MK Party’s headquarters are located at Zuma’s private home in Nkandla, which illustrates what the party is about.

“The moment that Jacob Zuma drops dead, it is the end of the MK Party. When you discuss the future of South Africa, forget about MK Party,” he said.

However, despite Mashele’s views that the MK Party will not survive without Jacob Zuma, he said it still carries risk.

He said a worst-case scenario for South Africa would be if the MK Party wins over 50% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal and takes over the province.

Should the ANC still be in charge of the national government, in partnership with other parties, the MK Party may refuse to take instructions from the national government.

“MK Party will run its own show in KwaZulu-Natal. The ministers of the government of national unity will not be welcome,” he said.

This, he explained, would plant the seeds of secession and carry the risk of Balkanizing South Africa. “It is very scary, and it could happen,” he said.