WATCH: ‘I will die in the ANC’ − Jacob Zuma

Former president Jacob Zuma is adamant that he will die in the ANC.

Zuma was speaking to Newzroom Afrika ahead of the elections on 29 May.

Despite the former president leading uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party ahead of the election, he is still an ANC member.

Watch Jacob Zuma speaking about dying in the ANC

Former President Jacob Zuma is adamant that he will die in the African National Congress (ANC)… Video: Newzroom Afrika #JacobZuma #MKParty #ANC #SAElections2024 @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/wawfyBod2l

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) May 27, 2024

Die in the ANC

“I’ve sacrificed my life. I was ready to die. I went to prison. I went to exile and some of the people who are leading they don’t even know what exile is all about. They don’t know, they’ve never been in prison.

“I have contributed to this ANC. If you listen to my terminology , I said I will die in the ANC,” Zuma said, while acknowledging that he is a member of the MK party.

When told that his support for the MK party was in contradiction with his membership with the ANC, Zuma claimed those who criticised him did not understand the situation.

Watch the full interview with Jacob Zuma

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Zuma disciplinary

The former president was expected to face an ANC disciplinary hearing earlier this month for contravening party rules. But this was postponed by the governing party, amid fears of violence.

The former president has been charged with two counts of contravening the governing party’s rules, including contravening the ANC constitution when he publicly endorsed the newly formed MK party last year and when he appeared on the candidate list for the MK party.

According to the ANC constitution’s rule 25, Zuma’s actions to not campaign or vote for the ANC are tantamount to a breach of the party’s constitution.

MK support

The NEC initially opted not to expel Zuma as an ANC member as that would require longer disciplinary processes, which at the time was believed he would not attend.

In December, Zuma announced that he would support the MK party for the 2024 general elections because the ANC had strayed from its core values.

Meanwhile the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has denied that it has banned Zuma from expressing his views on the public broadcaster.

SABC not blocking Zuma

Zuma accused the SABC of blocking an interview he gave on 22 May, claiming that he was the only politician barred by the public broadcaster.

“I don’t understand what is happening. I last heard this during the very hard days of apartheid. Many people were not allow to speak, they were actually [burned],” Zuma said.

The SABC has denied the claims by Zuma.

“The SABC would like to state that the allegations are not true, as from the formation of Mr Zuma’s political party, uMkhonto weSizwe, the public broadcaster has covered the party’s activities.

“In other instances, the SABC has contacted Mr Zuma’s team for interviews and there was no positive response, and this did not derail the team from trying and even adhering to the invite from his party to cover its activities, including its rally on 18 May 2024… It is therefore disingenuous to suggest that the SABC has banned Mr Zuma or his views,” said the SABC.

MK sabotage

During weekend election campaigning, the MK party claimed it was being sabotaged.

Its secretary-general Sihle Ngubane claims people don’t want the party to succeed in the elections.

“A child which is six-months-old, when it teats out, it gives all sorts of problems. President Zuma is giving birth to a new child. It’s getting sabotaged left, right and centre by the other organisations of the yellow shirts,” said Ngubane.

ALSO READ: WATCH: MK party claims sabotage amid another  Zuma no show at rally