LETTER: MK party seems to be at war with itself

The recent ugly developments within the MK party are a sign that it is at war with itself. In the past few weeks it has denounced leaders, starting with the leader of its youth movement, Bonginkosi Khanyile. Then it expelled five of its top leaders, including founder Jabulani Khumalo.

As if that is not enough, MK has been hit with allegations that the party forged signatures so that it could register with the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to contest the May 29 elections.

These are serious allegations that cannot be taken lightly. The IEC has the responsibility to investigate this matter if it wants to remain a credible and trusted institution.

It is quite clear that there is a lot going on in Jacob Zuma’s party, and it is clear that Zuma is doing what he does best: being dictatorial. These developments also give us a moment to reflect on political parties that emerge just before elections.

We should ask ourselves if MK was really formed to serve the interests of the people, or to be used by disgruntled leaders who want to continue putting their hands in the cookie jar of the state. If we are not careful we will find ourselves voting for parties that will spend the next five years fighting among themselves rather than for the people. We have been here before, where leaders of these parties spend more time in court than in parliament.

South Africans have enough time to make up their minds before voting day. We want a mature democracy that is not driven by the personal ambitions of its leaders, but rather the desire to serve.

Tom Mhlanga
Braamfontein

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