The uMkhonto weSizwe veteran Thabang Makwetla has lambasted the suspended former ANC president Jacob Zuma of MK political party fame.
Makwetla who is also Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans said in a statement that Zuma was never part of the leadership of the uMkhonto weSizwe in exile. “During the TRC, the ANC deposited information about members who constituted its leadership structures at different times, in different sectors and activities, over the ages. Zuma was never a member of the military headquarters of MK. It may be an interesting puzzle to many that Jacob Zuma was never part of the leadership of the MK in exile,” he said.
Makwetla released another political jab at Zuma saying his singing of the MK song, Awulethe Umshini wami, as his signature tune is a subtle attempt to embed himself within the community of former MK members.
“It is a strange attempt at rewriting history, because it minimises the valuable political underground work he performed throughout his political life in the ANC. The question is why? The sacred ground rule in Umkhonto weSizwe, which all its members were taught, is that MK was established to advance the political goals of the ANC, it does not have its own political programme,” Makwetla said.
“It only implements what the ANC-NEC instructs the military wing to do. In the relationship between the military and politics, MK members knew that politics came first. It is against MK traditions, values and norms for any member of MK to seek to act politically outside the legitimate political leadership of the ANC.”
He said members of Umkhonto weSizwe in good standing will always seek to fight their battles on political issues under the leadership of the ANC.
“Hostile mobilisation against the ANC under the banner of Umkhonto weSizwe is a shockingly ill-advised strategy,” he concluded.
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