South Africa’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party says it will form an alliance with smaller parties in parliament in order to take on the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance-led coalition government.
The ANC and its largest rival, the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance, agreed on Friday to work together in a coalition it called “government of national unity”, a step change after 30 years of ANC in governance.
However, former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe party came in a surprisingly strong third in the May 29 election which saw the ANC lose its majority.
MK secured 58 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, which translates to 14.6% of the vote.
MK lawmakers stayed off the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday after filing a complaint at the country’s top court alleging vote-rigging, which the court dismissed as without merit.
The ANC-led GNU includes two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance.
Reading a statement on behalf of Zuma, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela told reporters that the MK party will join the alliance called the “Progressive Caucus”, which includes the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the centre-left United Democratic Movement.
Ndhlela said while sitting next to Zuma, that this alliance of nearmt 18 parties commands close to 30% of the seats in the National Assembly.
“This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also resulted in the consolidation of right-wing and reactionary forces who are opposed to economic freedom, radical economic transformation, racial equality and land repossession,” he said.
After receiving legal advice, Ndhlela said that MK had decided to take up its seats in the National Assembly. It says it will continue to raise its allegations of a rigged election in parliament and in courts.
South Africa’s electoral Commission insist that the conduct of the election was free and fair.
Zuma also referred to the unity government as “meaningless” and a “white-led unholy alliance”.