The latest shake-up inside the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has raised questions about democratic processes, accountability and cronyism within the party. This comes after the party on Monday announced that it has taken away powers from its Presidential Task Team (PTT), which was the highest decision-making body in the party. This body is now replaced by a Strategic Presidential Team (SPT).
“The Strategic Presidential Team is hereby constituted as the highest decision-making and strategic leadership body of the organisation, vested with overarching authority to provide leadership, strategic direction, organisational coordination and oversight of the implementation of the party’s political programme and constitutional mandate,” said the party’s spokesperson, Sifiso Mahlangu. He said the decision was intended to strengthen the party’s leadership architecture, consolidate strategic authority, eliminate fragmentation in decision-making and ensure the disciplined, unified and effective execution of party resolutions. “The Strategic Presidential Team shall, with immediate effect, assume all secretariat and financial powers and responsibilities necessary for the effective administration, coordination, governance and strategic management of the organisation.” Why is there so much disorder in the MK party?
Political analyst André Duvenhage told The Citizen that the MK party is a victim of its quick growth and lack of transparency and democratic processes. “If you grow too quickly without sound structures, you are setting yourself up for failure… they achieved 14% to15% at the last general elections; they need some sort of organisation. You cannot exercise 15% of power in the country and in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) without structures and organisation,” he said.
Duvenhage said MK party president Jacob Zuma’s strong influence over the party and his decision to chop and change things at any point creates an impression that the party revolves around him. “This is becoming more and more a one-man show with loyalists surrounding Zuma,” he said. Duvenhage said another motivation for Zuma to take critical decisions in the party could be because of his own legal battles and political survival.
“He needs to pay something like R30 million in legal fees, so his position – in person – is very difficult; and we know that he would like to use the MK party as a vehicle for his own surviva…
Summary from source