Jacob Zuma Faces ANC Disciplinary Hearing Amid Political Feud
Former South African President Jacob Zuma is set to face a disciplinary hearing with the African National Congress (ANC) party on Wednesday, following his decision to campaign against the organization he once led as head of a new political party in the recent national elections.
The 82-year-old Zuma, who was forced to step down as president in 2018 amid allegations of corruption, has been at odds with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced him as the leader of the party and the country. Zuma has been critical of Ramaphosa, even accusing him of treason at one point.
The ANC suspended Zuma in January, citing his attacks on the party’s integrity. It is unclear whether Zuma will attend the hearing in person or virtually, with MK officials saying he wants to appear in person and the ANC preferring an online hearing.
The hearing could lead to Zuma’s expulsion from the ANC, which he joined in the late 1950s when it was a liberation movement fighting against the apartheid system of white minority rule.
Zuma’s MK Party won 14% of the national vote in the May 29 elections, stunning many and contributing to the ANC’s loss of its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994. The election led to the formation of an unprecedented multi-party coalition government, with MK refusing to join the coalition and becoming the official opposition as the third-biggest party in Parliament.
Despite facing multiple legal battles, Zuma remains a popular figure in parts of the country. He was sentenced to prison in 2021 for contempt of court after refusing to testify at an inquiry into alleged corruption during his presidency, and is due to go on trial next year over separate corruption allegations relating to the time before he was president.
His prison sentence led to him being disqualified from standing for a seat in Parliament in the May election, but he has continued to be the face and leader of the MK Party.
The hearing marks a significant moment in the ongoing political feud between Zuma and Ramaphosa, and could have far-reaching consequences for the ANC and the country’s political landscape.
