Despite its incredibly successful electoral debut Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) is refusing to embrace the reality of the elections. The grand irony of the MK’s refusal to accept the election results is that if there was skulduggery, it was more likely to have been performed by MK itself, as its rhetoric and party culture suggests a level of arrogance and willingness to use violence to get its way.
Zuma and his supporters have a history of violence and a propensity for not accepting defeat in any form. This violence has been used as a tool in the past to intimidate Zuma’s opponents, and to improve his faction’s bargaining power.
The 2021 riots in KZN, resulting in over 350 deaths and the loss of billions in economic damage, were sparked by the arrest of Jacob Zuma after he declined to testify at the Zondo Commission for his corruption as president. As a result of his arrest, his supporters waged a widespread violent insurrection, targeting ethnic minorities in KwaZulu-Natal, engaging in widespread looting, and the sabotage of key infrastructure.
The riots exposed the government’s inability to respond to mass violence and unrest. Infrastructure was shut down and communities were left on their own. Many, including President Ramaphosa, have stated that the unrest was “planned”.
While the looting of businesses is clearly motivated by greedy opportunism, and the attacks on Indian communities was motivated by racial hatred, the sabotage of cell towers and water treatment facilities was clearly an act of premeditated sabotage.
The ringleaders of the 2021 riots are now likely involved with MK, and Zuma himself is at the helm. I fear that MK’s refusal to accept reality and compromise will lead to more riots and unrest in the future. And this time, we’ll see that 2021 was just a rehearsal.
The MK is clearly well-funded and connected. It has links with the Kremlin, and Russian-funded agencies were linked with spreading MK propaganda and misinformation. A likely contributor to MK’s election victories.
MK clearly has no morals or restraints. If Zuma and its leadership feels that unrest will accomplish its goals, it will cause unrest. And likely, this mass chaos will be used as a smokescreen to enact the MK’s goals. Assassinations of political rivals are already common in South Africa and KZN. A mass insurrection will be great cover to purge rivals in the ANC, IFP and perhaps even be used to allow the MK to settle internal conflicts.
South Africa stands at a violent precipice, as unrest becomes more and more likely. And this time, with growing unemployment and poverty, and stoked group hatred, I fear the violence will be worse.
For this reason, communities in KZN and across South Africa need to prepare to defend themselves. SAPS and the military are ill-prepared to counter these mass riots. This means that communities must band together, form groups to discuss their mutual defence, while investing in becoming functionally gated communities (as many neighbourhoods in Soweto and elsewhere have become).
The ANC is unlikely to allow provinces and local areas formal autonomy. But when it comes to the safety of our families, communities and property, we cannot ask for permission. We must prepare ourselves against inevitable mass violence, and not kid ourselves into relying on the collapsing police and army to keep ourselves safe.
Hopefully, I’m wrong. But it’s better to be prepared. Especially now, as the fate of the country is yet to be decided.
