Jacob Zuma’s Power Play: Inside the MK Party Purge That’s Turning Heads

Jacob Zuma’s Power Play: Inside the MK Party Purge That’s Turning Heads

In South Africa’s ever-dramatic political theatre, former president Jacob Zuma has once again seized the spotlight, not through elections or policies, but through power plays that feel straight out of an old Cold War handbook.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which Zuma launched with thunderous fanfare as a “people’s movement,” now looks increasingly like a one-man show. And the latest act? A series of purges that would make even Joseph Stalin nod in recognition.

A Party Built on Loyalty and Fear

It started with whispers, then came suspensions. Now, the MK Party has seen a string of internal reshuffles that have less to do with democracy and more to do with Zuma’s unyielding grip on power.

Among the casualties is John Hlophe, the controversial former judge who once served as MK’s deputy president. Hlophe has been suspended pending an investigation into his conduct a move the party says is about “upholding collective leadership.”

But insiders and critics alike see it differently. “Collective leadership,” one political observer quipped on social media, “only seems to apply when your surname starts with Z and ends with -uma.”

Zuma’s New Circle of Influence

The party’s internal culture is beginning to resemble that of the strongmen Zuma now courts across the continent. He’s been seen rubbing shoulders with Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré, a leader celebrated by pan-Africanists for his anti-West rhetoric but criticised for his authoritarian approach.

He’s also known to admire Paul Biya, Cameroon’s 93-year-old president who’s ruled since before most South Africans were born. The symbolism isn’t lost on anyone, Zuma’s alliances and admiration point to a man who sees longevity in power as a virtue, not a vice.

The Duduzile Factor

While the MK Party talks of democracy, its reality seems anchored in dynasty. Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has become one of the movement’s most visible and vocal figures, shaping narratives online and within the party’s inner circle.

In many ways, the Zuma brand has eclipsed the MK Party itself. What started as a liberation-inspired organisation is fast becoming a family-run operation, with dissenters finding themselves edged out or silenced.

Africa’s Familiar Story, Playing Out in SA

Across Africa, political dynasties and personality cults have long replaced true democratic renewal. And as Zuma tightens his grip on MK, many South Africans are left wondering whether the country’s hard-won democratic ethos is slowly eroding at its fringes.

Zuma’s latest moves evoke a troubling sense of déjà vu the idea that once a leader tastes absolute power, they never really let go. His growing comfort among Africa’s autocrats and the purges within MK signal one thing clearly: Zuma isn’t just back, he’s building something enduring, and possibly dangerous.

A Warning from History

South Africa has always prided itself on peaceful transitions and accountability. But the recent drama within MK serves as a stark reminder: charisma can easily morph into control, and loyalty can become a weapon.

As one political analyst put it bluntly, “Zuma may have left office years ago, but he never left power.”

And for South Africa, that’s a reality worth watching very closely.

{Source: The Citizen}

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