The MK party has not had an elective conference since it was founded, and most leaders have been appointed by Jacob Zuma.
Transferring leadership of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party to the children of former president Jacob Zuma could have disastrous consequences for the party, according to a political analyst from Nelson Mandela University (NMU).
This comes after speculations that Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, is leading a social media campaign to have her brother appointed as the party’s deputy president.
Some MK party members have also expressed their support for Duduzane Zuma to take over the presidency from his father.
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John Hlophe, a former judge, currently serves as the deputy president of the party, while Floyd Shivambu is the secretary-general.
Duduzile and Duduzane are twins born to Zuma and his wife, Kate Mantsho-Zuma, who passed away in 2000.
Zuma’s ‘strategic mistake’
Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast told The Citizen on Friday that positioning the Zuma children to take overthe party is not a good idea.
“Former president Zuma is a strategist, that is a fact. He knows how to manoeuvre, he knows that politics is an art and a game of power but I think he is making a strategic mistake by wanting to hand over the reins to his children,” he said.
He said this move would alienate Zuma from his close allies and those who helped him start the MK party.
“There are people who resigned from their work and they have put resources into the party to make sure the party is where it is.
“They will feel betrayed if Zuma hands over the party to his children.”
ANC presidential race and the Zuma family
According to Breakfast, Zuma significantly influenced his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s decision to contest President Cyril Ramaphosa for the ANC presidency.
Dlamini-Zuma would have been the first female president of the ANC had she won at the 2017 ANC conference in Nasrec.
“Zuma has a history of making things revolve around him. He wanted his former wife to contest so she does not pursue him legally,” he said.
No political talent
Breakfast said what is shocking about the positioning of the Zuma twins as political leaders is that they both do not have a history of political activism.
He said Duduzane became well known because of his relations with the notorious Gupta family.
“I have not heard a coherent argument from him or analysis on a particular situation on issues that are happening around the world or in the country.
“If you listen to Malema or Floyd, those are politicians that have been baptised into politics at a tender age, but these ones (Zuma’s children) I am not convinced.”
No MK party without Zuma
Different MK party leaders such as Shivambu have been cautious to respond to questions about how the party’s future would look without Jacob Zuma.
However, Breakfast said the party would certainly fall into disarray without Zuma.
He said those who dared to speak out against Zumawere dealt with by Zuma and those close to him.
“The fact that people are not speaking about these things in public does not mean that they do not exist. I think at some point that party will implode,” he said.
Breakfast said elective conferences were a sign that parties are run in a democratic and inclusive manner.
“Democratic centralism does not mean making decisions at the top and taking them down to the bottom. Democracy is accepted as a system of a by-product of the whole or of the people,” he said.
Duduzane spotted at party events
Earlier this year, there was speculation that Duduzane would join the MK party after he had been seen at several MK party gatherings.
However, the party denied that Duduzane was a member of the party at the time.
The Citizen has reported that there were discussions then to bring Dududuzane to the MK party.
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