IN CONVERSATION WITH TIEGO KHOZA- POLITICAL ANALYST

Jacob Zuma is back on the campaign trail — and he is not pulling his punches. Speaking in the Eastern Cape, Zuma attacked President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling him a “crook” and questioning his leadership of the country. But the interesting story isn’t simply “Zuma attacks Ramaphosa.” The bigger question is: What exactly is MK trying to build before the 4 November Local Government Elections? Because while Zuma is touring communities and positioning MK as the alternative to the ANC, the party itself has been going through a remarkable period of internal change. In recent months, MK has changed senior leadership, replaced its secretary-general, reshuffled its parliamentary leadership and repeatedly dealt with internal disputes. John Hlophe was recently removed as first deputy president, only for Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma to be announced in the position. There have also been expulsions and communication restrictions. Former spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela was expelled, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was expelled, and the party has been attempting to centralise its public messaging. The party has also been reorganising its finances and internal structures while insisting that these changes are part of preparing for the local elections. MK itself says its preparations are progressing and that it is focused on organisational discipline, unity and community mobilisation. Jacob Zuma is calling Cyril Ramaphosa a crook. MK is calling itself the alternative. But while Zuma tussles with the ANC on the campaign trail, his own party is undergoing one of the biggest internal reshuffles we’ve seen since it entered Parliament. John Hlophe is out of the top leadership. Duduzane Zuma is in. Senior party figures have been expelled. Communication has been tightened. Zuma has taken greater control over the organisation. So what are we actually watching here? A political party getting itself election-ready — or a party increasingly built around one man? Instagram · Twitter