Zuma of South Africa says the 2024 elections were rigged and promises protests

Former South African President Jacob Zuma announced on Sunday that, in addition to continuing to contest the results of the general election, his new party will be joining an opposition alliance to coordinate opposition to the government.

“The 2024 elections were rigged” the uMkhonto weSizwe party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela said, reading out a statement on behalf of the 82-year-old ex-leader.

“We have instructed our legal team to take any steps possible both inside of South Africa and internationally to ensure that justice is done.”

He added, “At the right time we will call on our people to demonstrate their dissatisfaction against all these injustices peacefully, in the streets, in the court and even in parliament until our grievances are addressed.”

The MK also said that it would become a part of a recently established legislative alliance of multiple left-leaning opposition parties with members in parliament.

The “Progressive Caucus” is currently led by the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters, which won 39 seats in the new parliament.

As his address was read out, Zuma sat silently and occasionally responded to inquiries from the media.

The MK secured 58 parliamentary seats and 14.6% of the vote, placing them third in the election.

The party abstained from Friday’s inaugural parliamentary session, which saw the reelection of Zuma’s longtime political rival Cyril Ramaphosa to a second term in office.

The party declared that it was filing a new lawsuit to contest the “rigged” election results.

It had already filed a separate protest over purported electoral irregularities and gone to court to try to stop the new parliament from meeting.

In addition, a number of other parties have filed legal objections and complained to the nation’s electoral commission.

A “unholy alliance”

After the May election yielded no clear winner, Ramaphosa, who takes office on June 19, will head what he terms a government of national unity.

The center-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, and numerous smaller parties make up the national unity government.

The opposition parties reacted icily to the agreement.

The newly formed coalition was criticized by Ndhlela for the MK as a “white-led unholy alliance” that “must be crushed before it finds its feet.” He declared that the ANC was “in bed with the racists.”

The EFF disregarded the notion of cooperating with adversaries who had drastically divergent political philosophies, like the DA.

Ever since Zuma was removed from office by the African National Congress in 2018 amid accusations of corruption and replaced by Ramaphosa, the two men have been fierce rivals.

AFP