Zandile Gumede denies plans to join Zuma’s MK party, but leaves door open

ANC eThekwini regional chairperson Zandile Gumede has dismissed speculation that she is planning to leave the ANC, the majority party in the government of national unity, for Jacob Zuma’s MK party, but has not ruled out the possibility. 

In an exclusive interview with the Mail & Guardian, Gumede rejected claims that she was seeking a new political home, suggesting that those spreading the rumours might be ANC members who want her out for their own benefit. 

“I have never had interest in joining the MK party; maybe the people in the MK party wish for me to join. Even if I wanted to go to the MK party, I would have gone by the time it was announced as a political party,” she said.

“I am not saying I won’t ever go, but what I’m saying is that for now, I have never said I want to go. There are some things you must never swear that you’ll never do. For now, I’m the chair of the ANC in eThekwini until my term ends, then whoever takes on from there takes on and then that’s it.”

MK party eThekwini spokesperson BF Dlamini said the party had already approached Gumede, who is known for her ability to mobilise the masses. 

Dlamini described Gumede as a “selfless” leader who put the needs of the people first, a “people’s person” and a “true leader” who would be able to help the MK party reach new heights. 

“If she does come, we would be so happy to receive her. We have approached so many comrades that we have worked with. Mam Gumede is one of those comrades we have worked with, she has shown leadership and a character of freeing a black person,” he said, adding that the ANC no longer had strong leadership. 

“We are expecting every one of them to come and join the MK party because it is an organisation for everyone. We say as MK that we are stronger when we are together.

“When you look at white people, they have the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus, but we [black people] are just in small pieces which divide us.

“We are looking forward to receiving members from the ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters and Inkatha Freedom Party to come and join the MK party.”

Gumede was one of the first prominent ANC leaders to be affected by its step-aside rule, which has seen former Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza also affected and former party secretary general Ace Magashule expelled from the party. 

Gumede was arrested in 2019 on a raft of charges, including fraud, corruption and racketeering relating to a R320  million Durban Solid Waste tender.

She is accused of personally receiving R2  881  350 in kickbacks for ensuring predetermined businesses benefited from city waste contracts.

The ANC eThekwini region also allegedly received a R100  000 “donation” from three of Gumede’s co-accused, according to the state’s indictment. The matter is at trial. 

The step-aside rule was a resolution taken by the party at its 2017 Nasrec conference.

The watered-down step-aside regulation version eventually adopted by the ANC’s national executive committee stated that those charged with corruption and other crimes must voluntarily step aside, resolving 

further that the accused should face its integrity committee. 

The resolution also stated that those affected by the step-aside resolution cannot participate in any official party programmes or represent the party on any public platform.

In 2022, Gumede was again elected as the eThekwini regional chair, in absentia. This was before the ANC could change the rule to say anyone who has been formally charged could not stand for party leadership positions. 

But the ANC broke its own rule when it brought back Gumede to campaign for it ahead of last year’s elections. At the time, she was viewed as a prominent leader in KwaZulu-Natal who would help “neutralise” the MK party, which was starting to wreak havoc in the province.

ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has repeatedly stated that party leaders charged with serious criminal offences would not be involved in important structures. 

In 2023, while speaking at the ANC Women’s League’s Winnie Madikizela-Mandela volunteer launch in Botshabelo, Free State, Mbalula said: “You must step aside and come back when you have dealt with your issues.”

Last year, the women’s league expressed its “excitement” that Gumede would be among those at the forefront of ANC election campaigns. 

The league’s president, Sisisi Tolashe, said there was no contradiction in Gumede campaigning for the ANC, despite being asked to step aside years earlier, because the party had now pronounced that it was good for her to campaign again. 

Following the 2024 national and provincial elections, which saw the MK party winning as the majority party in KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC again put Gumede on step-aside notice. 

With her term set to end as ANC regional chair and the elective regional conference to take place this year, it appears that Gumede will not be eligible to stand for any position.

Since she was elected as a regional chair, she has never set foot in her office.

Gumede said she was not happy with how things had turned out because those who elected her trusted her and believed that she could change their lives.

“I thought my organisation would allow me to do the job I was elected for, but the step-aside rules say we must not touch anything.

“I must honour that they elected me, I can’t resign, I must wait for my term of office to conclude … for now, there’s a deputy chair who is continuing with the work. If I resign, the people who elected me will not feel good, it will be like I’m spitting in their faces. They still love me.”

Gumede said it was “painful” to see some ANC members who had been placed on step-aside notice conclude their court cases and return to positions of power. 

Her corruption case has been dragging on for almost seven years. 

Although she did not mention anyone specific in this regard, an example could be found in former sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa, whose corruption charges were dropped a few months after he was formally charged. Kodwa has since returned to the ANC’s national executive committee as well as his position as a national working committee member. 

Gumede said she did not wish the step-aside rule on anyone, not even “my worst enemy”.

Asked whether the ANC had ulterior motives when it brought her to campaign for it in last year’s elections, she said: “I won’t speak on their behalf, they know what they are doing. I don’t want to say they were using my name because I cannot speculate.

“I cannot tell you what was being done because I remember there were by-elections at the time in ward 101. I worked so hard with the team from the region, province and national.”

Asked whether she would contest for the upcoming conference, Gumede said she was not thinking about it and, being over the age of 60, she now needed time to rest.

“I don’t know when the conference will sit because I don’t sit in those structures. The only thing I hear is that there’s been a lot of lobbying. But I’d be lying if I said I know when the conference will sit.

“I have never asked to stand. It’s the people who choose me to stand. But there are always those who are ready to dirty my name in any way they want.”