Former South African President Jacob Zuma has filed a court case against the African National Congress (ANC) and its leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to challenge his expulsion from the party in July 2024. The ANC disciplined Zuma, a 65-year member, for endorsing the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which he now leads, before the May 2024 general elections.
Zuma claims the ANC’s disciplinary process was illegal and violated his constitutional rights. He further alleges that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula sent intimidating messages to his representative before the hearing, heightening the dispute. In a podcast, Zuma expressed his desire to remain an ANC member to “rescue” the party from leadership he believes has strayed from its founding principles, such as those in the Freedom Charter, which marked its 70th anniversary on the day of his court filing.
MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela labeled the ANC’s disciplinary hearing a “kangaroo court” and criticized the party’s Government of National Unity (GNU) with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) as a betrayal of ANC values. Ndhlela supported Zuma’s bid for dual membership in the MKP and the “true ANC” of historical leaders like Luthuli, Tambo, and Mandela, arguing it could advance black unity and land reform in South Africa.
The ANC has not officially commented, but Mbalula previously called Zuma’s actions “mischievous.” ANC sources are split: some see Zuma’s legal expulsion challenge as an attempt to destabilize the party before the 2026 Local Government Elections, while others speculate he aims to protect his pension benefits amid discussions about amending laws on former presidents’ remuneration.
Political analyst Professor Siphamandla Zondi from the University of Johannesburg suggests Zuma views the ANC’s current leadership as aligned with “White Monopoly Capital.” After failing to defeat this faction at party conferences, Zuma formed the MKP. Analyst Sandile Swana describes Zuma’s court bid as a strategic move to regain control and reform the ANC.
