The uMkhonto weSizwe Party did not come into being through the usual ways that political groups are created. Instead, according to MK Party leader Magasela Mzobe, it was born through what he calls a “guerrilla warfare style” of doing politics, led directly by former president Jacob Zuma.
When talking about how the party started and what it is like, Mzobe explained that Zuma, who is the president of the MKP, did not use the same method as most other political movements. Rather than bringing people together in meetings, writing out ideas on paper and slowly putting together the party’s framework, Zuma went straight to the people, used his personal relationships and made quick political moves to build the party.
“President Zuma did not form the MKP like other parties, where you gather people and ideas,” Mzobe said. “He did it in a guerrilla warfare style.”
What Mzobe said helps us understand how the MK Party grew in an unusual way and how it has quickly become a force that shakes up South Africa’s political world. While older, well-known parties focus on doing things the proper way and holding big meetings to talk about what they believe in, the MKP has grown fast, using strong feelings and a close connection to Zuma as its main tools.
According to Mzobe, this way of working comes from how Zuma thinks about politics, shaped by many years of fighting for freedom and learning how to organise people in ways that did not follow normal rules. He suggested that how the MKP was made is like the way people fought for freedom in the past, where keeping things secret, being able to move quickly and staying loyal were seen as more important than following strict rules.
People who support the party say this way of doing things explains why the MKP has been able to bring so many people together in such a short time, especially people in communities who feel left out by the bigger political parties. They see the “guerrilla-style” way of starting the party as something good, saying it lets the party move fast when things change in politics and keep everyone saying the same message.
However, some people who study politics worry that this way of doing things could cause problems later on. They point out that while bringing people together quickly can create excitement, a party that lasts needs to be open about how it works, let people inside have a say, and have clear plans for what it wants to do. Without these things, they say, fights between people in the party and problems with how it is run may happen as the party gets bigger and older.
Mzobe said he does not think the MKP is missing a clear reason for being, saying that what the party wants to do is based on bringing back respect for people, making sure everyone has a fair chance to make money, and what he called “true liberation values.” He said that just because the party started in an unusual way does not mean it does not have a clear idea of what it wants to do.
As the MK Party keeps growing and reaching more people, Zuma’s important role and the way the party started using “guerrilla-style” methods are likely to stay as the things that make it different from other parties. Whether this way of doing things can lead to real and lasting power in politics is one of the biggest questions people in South Africa are watching right now.