uMkhonto weSizwe Party 'Spear of the Nation' Party | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | MKP |
| President | Jacob Zuma[1] |
| Governing body | National High Command[2] |
| Spokesperson | Nhlamulo Ndhlela[2] |
| Deputy President | John Hlophe and Tony Yengeni[3] |
| Secretary General | Vacant |
| Deputy Secretary General | Nombuso Mkhize[2] |
| National Treasurer | Nthathi Mthanti |
| National Chairperson | Nkosinathi Nhleko |
| Founded | 16 December 2023; 2 years ago (2023-12-16)[4] |
| Registered | 7 September 2023; 2 years ago (2023-09-07)[5][6] |
| Split from | African National Congress |
| Headquarters | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Economic: Left-wing tofar-left (disputed) Social: Right-wing[A] tofar-right |
| National affiliation | Progressive Caucus |
| Colors | |
| Slogan | Gwaza Mkhonto Gwaza |
| National Assembly | 58 / 400 |
| National Council of Provinces | 9 / 90 |
| Pan-African Parliament | 1 / 5 (South African seats) |
| Provincial Legislatures | 58 / 487 |
| Website | |
| mkparty | |
^ A: uMkhonto weSizwe self-identifies as"left-wing", and several sources refer to the party as beingleft-wing populist orfar-left.[7] However, due to itssocial andcultural conservatism, especially regarding its nationalist, anti-foreigner[4] andanti-LGBT rhetoric, it is instead placed by some as being part of theconservative-left or as being part of theright-wing tofar-right.[11] | |
uMkhonto weSizwe Party (Zulu for 'Spear of the Nation' Party'), abbreviated asMKP, and often referred to as theMK Party, is aSouth Africanpopulist[4][7] political party founded in December 2023. The party is named afteruMkhonto weSizwe (shortened toMK), theparamilitary wing of theAfrican National Congress (ANC) which was active during theapartheid regime in South Africa and disbanded afterNelson Mandela's release in the early 1990s. The ANC has threatened legal action over the usage of the name,[12] and the formation has been criticised by original MK veterans.[13]
The party rose to prominence in December 2023, when former presidentJacob Zuma announced that, while planning to remain a lifelong member of the ANC, he would not be campaigning for the ANC in the2024 South African general election, and would instead be voting for MK.[14] He stated that "I cannot and will not" campaign for the ANC of current presidentCyril Ramaphosa, Zuma's successor, and that to do so would be a "betrayal".[15][16]
On 21 May 2024, a week before the2024 general election, theConstitutional Court ruled that party leaderJacob Zuma was ineligible to serve inParliament as hisfifteen-month prison sentence for contempt of court disqualified him.[17][18][19] Although his image would remain on ballot papers, alongside his party's logo, Zuma's name would be removed from MK's list of parliamentary candidates.[17] In July 2024, Jacob Zuma was expelled from the African National Congress (ANC) because of campaigning for a rival party (MK party) in the 29 May general election.[20]
The party has been described aspopulist,Zulu nationalist,[21][22] and "anti-foreigner".[4]Voice of America called it a "radical left-wing party" in 2024,[7][8][9] whileAl Jazeera described its policies associalist the same year.[23] It has supportedsocially conservative policies,[24] including the repeal of laws legalisingsame-sex marriage.[25] The party supports controversial, ostensiblyreparative policies, such as expropriating white-owned land without compensation.[26] Writing in theMail & Guardian, Imraan Buccus describes the party's ideology as "predatory and authoritarian nationalism with far right-wing social views".[11] The party has linked rising immigration to South Africa with crime.[27] Despite being a self-proclaimed socialist party, it supports expanding the powers of traditional tribal monarchs.[28]
The party has not held, and as of August 2025 has no current plans to hold, any internal elections. All top leaders are appointed by party president Jacob Zuma.[29]
Since the creation of the party, all opinion polling has shown it holds strong support in theprovince ofKwaZulu-Natal,[30][31] withblack andcoloured residents being the most favourable of the party.[32] In early 2024, published opinion polls projected that the MK Party would cut significantly into theANC vote within the province,[33][34][35][36] and attracted a polling percentage up to 35.6%.[30] The party also attracted significant percentages in the immediate north-western province ofMpumalanga.[30] Following the declaration of the election results of the National and Provincial Elections, the MK Party secured 14.58% of the national votes. This translates to 58 seats in the National Assembly.
The party has experienced infighting, with a number of resignations and dismissals, including party founder Jabulani Khumalo and others on the2024 election list.[37][38] In response to his dismissal, Khumalo claimed that he was still president, that Zuma was merely a consultant, and in turn suspended Zuma, asking the IEC to remove the Zuma's name from the candidate lists.[39] The IEC subsequently ruled in favour of Zuma and allowed him to remain on the party's lists, noting his status as the MK Party's registered leader.[40]
In January 2024,Black First Land First party leaderAndile Mngxitama announced that he had joined the party, although he stated that BLF would not cease to exist, and that it was an electoral pact.[41]
In July 2024, the MK was confirmed as the official opposition party in theNational Assembly. The MK party replaced theDemocratic Alliance (DA), which joined the ANC-led multi-partygovernment.[42]
On 15 August 2024, formerEFF Deputy President and Parliamentary Chief WhipFloyd Shivambu joined the party.[43] Shivambu was appointed Secretary General, but was dismissed from the position in June 2025.[44]
On 5 September 2024, the Western Cape High Court heard arguments that the National Assembly unlawfully delegated its duty by endorsing the MK Party's nomination of impeached judgeJohn Hlophe to theJudicial Service Commission (JSC) without independent scrutiny. Legal challengers argue this decision was irrational and undermines judicial integrity, while Hlophe and the MK Party maintain his appointment was valid.[45] Former Democratic Alliance Midvaal mayorBongani Baloyi has joined the uMkhonto weSizwe party on 5 September 2024[46]
On 5 November 2025,John Hlophe, Deputy President of the party and theLeader of the Opposition for MK, was suspended from his role in the party following controversial leadership changes.[47] Hlophe, in his capacity as house leader, had sacked the MK'sChief WhipColleen Makhubele and replaced her withDes van Rooyen.[47] This was following reports that Makhubele "had attempted to secure an MKP service-provider contract worth more than R180 000 per month for a company in which her husband is a director".[47]
On 28 November, Zuma's daughterDuduzile Zuma-Sambudla announced her resignation as a member of parliament for MK following her alleged involvement in recruiting individuals to receive military training in Russia, only for those men to be conscripted into the ongoingWar in Ukraine[48] She was replaced in parliament by another Zuma daughter,Brumelda Zuma.[49]
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's resignation was followed a week later by formerPrasa head and current MK member of parliamentLucky Montana. Montana, who remains a member of the party, advised leadership about his intent to resign from his role in parliament on 30 August, due to take effect at the end of the year.[50]
In February 2024, the party contested its first election,finishing third with 19% of the vote in the ward 8 by-election in theAbaqulusi Local Municipality inKwaZulu-Natal, behind theInkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 47% andAfrican National Congress (ANC) on 35%.[51]
Later that month, the party again finished third, winning 28% of the vote in anuPhongolo by-election, behind the IFP on 36% and the ANC on 33%.[52]
On 28 February 2024, the party contested aby-election in Govan Mbeki inMpumalanga, its first outsideKwaZulu-Natal, finishing second on 28% behind the ANC on 51%.[53]
On 14 June 2024, the party suffered a setback in KwaZulu-Natal after the provincial legislature elected an IFP member,Thami Ntuli, asPremier of KwaZulu-Natal.[54] Ntuli defeated the MK Party's premier candidate, Zulu Nation deputy prime ministerPhathisizwe Chiliza, with 41 votes to 39.[55]
As of May 2025, the party has won six by-elections, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal.[56]
In December 2025, KwaZulu-Natal IFP premier, Thami Ntuli, narrowly survived with 39 votes to 40 a MK-sponsored motion of no confidence vote.[57]
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jacob Zuma | 2,344,309 | 14.58%[a] | 58 / 400 | New | 3rd | Official Opposition |
| Election | Total # of seats won | +/- | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 / 90 | - | Official Opposition |
| Election[58] | Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | Kwazulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | North-West | Northern Cape | Western Cape | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | |
| 2024 | 1.44 | 1/73 | 1.93 | 1/30 | 9.79 | 8/80 | 45.35 | 37/80 | 0.85 | 1/64 | 16.97 | 9/51 | 2.06 | 1/38 | 0.79 | 0/30 | 0.57 | 0/42 |
Zuma said he would vote for the radical new left-wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) party, named after the ANC's old armed wing, and urged all South Africans to reject the ANC.
TEMBISA, South Africa – Supporters of South Africa's embattled former president Jacob Zuma's newly-formed radical left-wing party said Sunday they hope he might soon be the country's leader again, even though he failed to show up at their rally.
