Former South African leader threatens court action over party membership dispute

Jacob Zuma was expelled from the then-ruling African National Congress for leading an opposition group in the recent elections

Former President Jacob Zuma has slapped the ANC with a letter of demand giving the organisation an ultimatum to reinstate his membership by January 31 or face court action.

In the letter to the party, Zuma’s attorney Thabo Kwinana outlined procedural and substantive concerns regarding the processes undertaken by the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) and the National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal (NDCA).

The letter says Zuma’s expulsion was “not procedural and invalid”, citing irregularities that would likely be upheld by an independent legal review.

Zuma now leads the uMkhontho weSizwe Party (MKP) that has given the ANC sleepless nights after last year’s national elections.

Zuma’s representatives claim the ANC’s actions were in breach of the organization’s constitution and the Constitution of South Africa.

“We are therefore instructed to demand, as we hereby do, that the ANC must take all the necessary steps to ensure that such a reasoned ruling of the NDCA is furnished, without delay; our client is provided with all the full record of the NDC/NDCA proceedings including all outstanding documents and correspondence relevant thereto; and/or the expulsion ruling is immediately reversed with immediate effect pending proper compliance with the ANC Constitution and the Constitution of the Republic,” the letter read.

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It added that failure to comply on or before January 31, 2025, would result in Zuma taking all the legal steps necessary to vindicate, inter alia, his violated rights in respect of all issues, without any further notice to the ANC.

Zuma, who has been an ANC member for 65 years, also raises concerns about the conduct of ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, who is accused of intimidating and victimising Zuma’s representative, Tony Yengeni.

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The development has sparked concerns about the ANC’s internal processes and the treatment of its members.

The JG Zuma Foundation has urged the ANC to prioritise fairness, consistency, and adherence to its founding principles, ensuring that all members are protected from selective disciplinary actions or factional vendettas.

Mbalula, at the end of last year, vowed that the ANC would not take back Zuma; he had sealed his fate by creating the MKP.

First published by IOL