ATM’s president says claims Zuma, Magashule helped form party a stigmatising ploy

African Movement Transformation (ATM) president Vuyolwethu Zungula has rubbished claims that former African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma and incumbent secretary-general of the governing party Ace Magashule played a role in the formation of the ATM.

Zungula told eNCA that there was no evidence to back the allegations, which he viewed as attempts to “stigmatise” the ATM as the former president’s party.

“There is no evidence whatsoever, that’s one. Secondly, this affidavit drawn by Mr Buyisile Ngqulwana – he withdrew the court application which was going to examine the affidavit.

“A lot of people assume that once a person writes an affidavit, whatever is contained there is actually the truth.

“Now the fact that he actually withdrew his own application on the eleventh hour clearly shows that there is something about that affidavit that he wrote.

“Again, on the issue of being labelled as a Zuma party, this allegation was made from April last year, it’s been close to 14 months, no evidence, no proof whatsoever.

“So, if you have to look at how we have been stigmatised from April last year up until the beginning of this year, we were called this Zuma party,” Zungula said, adding that at the start of 2019, the allegation that Magashule was involved in the formation of the party surfaced without any evidence given to back this claim.

“So, we view this, as the ATM, as a ploy to try and stigmatise us so that people do not hear what we say – rather they stick to us being stigmatised as a Zuma party.”

Zungula said Ngulwana was a church leader who it was expected, due to his position, would be consulted by many political leaders for spiritual guidance.

These politicians include Magashule, Zuma, former president Thabo Mbeki and Inkatha Freedom Party leader Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zungula said.

The party announced earlier this month that it would investigate Magashule for his alleged role in the formation of the ATM.

It also said that former president Kgalema Motlanthe will lead the investigation.

The Sunday Times reported at the beginning of May that South African Council of Messianic Churches in Christ (SACMCC) general secretary Buyisile Ngqulwana had written a damning affidavit claiming that both former president Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule were involved in the formation of the party, which was established by church formations in 2018.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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