News

Thuthukile Zuma Calls MK Party ‘Unfortunate,’ Stands Firm with ANC

Published

2 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Chiraag

A Zuma who won’t follow the MK path

In South Africa’s crowded political landscape, another Zuma has spoken up. Thuthukile Zuma, daughter of Jacob Zuma and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has rejected any suggestion that she might align with the MK Party. Instead, she has doubled down on her loyalty to the ANC, calling the MK Party’s very existence “unfortunate.”

Speaking as a member of the ANC’s Johannesburg Regional Task Team, Thuthukile stressed that she is not a national leader but a committed activist in her region. “We campaign for the ANC. We do ANC work. We advance the cause of the ANC,” she said.

Taking aim at the MK Party

Founded in 2023 after Jacob Zuma’s fallout with the ANC, the MK Party has positioned itself as a serious opposition player in Johannesburg. But Thuthukile Zuma was blunt in her criticism.

“To be honest with you, I am not sure what their policies are,” she said. “I’m not entirely sure what it is that they are offering to the electorate in terms of where they want to take South Africa.”

She argued that both the MK Party and the EFF exist because of the ANC’s inability to manage its own divisions. “Outside of President Zuma and Julius Malema, those people who are voting for these parties, that’s the ANC constituency. Those are people who should be voting for the ANC.”

ANC’s responsibility for breakaways

While she faulted defectors, Thuthukile acknowledged the ANC’s role in creating space for breakaway movements. “I think it’s unfortunate when people defect from the ANC,” she admitted, “but I also think the ANC needs to internally introspect on why that happens.”

Her warning was sharp: unless the ANC confronts its internal contradictions, more breakaway parties could emerge. “Tomorrow we don’t want another EFF or another MKP,” she said. “If the ANC could reflect on how we manage our internal contradictions to avoid such, I think it would be an important discussion for us to have.”

A family divided, a party under pressure

Her comments underline a striking reality: while Jacob Zuma is the figurehead of the MK Party, his daughter has nailed her colours firmly to the ANC mast. The split captures the deeper struggle inside South Africa’s ruling party, between loyalty and defection, between introspection and denial.

For Thuthukile, the path is clear. Despite her doubts about the ANC’s internal cohesion, she insists it remains her political home. The MK Party, she says, is a symptom of a bigger problem, not the solution.