Duduzane Zuma says the MK Party can be trusted with municipal funds

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has reassured its potential coalition partners in different municipalities that it can be trusted with municipal finances.

There have been reports for several months of the party failing to manage its finances and not having enough money to launch a well-run campaign for the local government elections.

But in a media briefing on Saturday in eThekwini, the party’s deputy president, Duduzane Zuma, said the party is ready to govern, especially in eThekwini, where it is the largest party and looking to govern in coalition.

Asked about handling the city’s more than R70 billion budget after the party allegedly mismanaged money, Zuma said it is dealing with internal issues and that those found to have misused party funds have been dealt with.

“What we are doing is dealing with those issues. We have noticed some issues in the organisation. If you look at it from the beginning until now, there are people that have been found wanting, and they have been dealt with, so I think that speaks to accountability.

“We are a party that is showcasing within our organisation how to deal with these issues, and what we are saying is when we get into government, which we will, that is the outlook that we will be projecting to society,” he said.

Reshuffling

Duduzane said his father, Jacob Zuma, was known for reshuffling Cabinet when he was president of South Africa, and the party will also not hesitate to take drastic decisions in municipalities.

“There is a history of our president who was once the president of this country, where he still holds a record for the most reshuffles, so it’s nothing new. This guy has been at it, especially at midnight, so there will be a lot of midnight oil being burnt.

“We are holding our members accountable. This is what our organisation is about. This is what our members appreciate,” he said.

Coalition talks

One of the party’s senior leaders, Dali Mpofu, said the MK party will do what it has to do to get into government in various municipalities, but it will “not sell its soul.”

“If the political situation is such that the party must sit on the opposition benches, it will do so, not because that is its preference, but because that is really the broad outline of what would happen,” he said.

Mpofu said his party is being transparent by announcing a coalition negotiating team. He said the party did so because, in the previous general elections, there were misconceptions that the MK Party did not want to go into national government.

“You would listen to people saying the MK Party did not come to meetings and that they were not available. That is not true. We were there, that did not happen. The ANC and the DA had a deal about the government of national unity (GNU) long before those elections,” he said.