On Saturday evening, at the Maslow Times Square in Pretoria, former president Jacob Zuma charmed a gathering lassoed together by the diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg.

Former president Jacob Zuma (second left) and his diamond dealer benefactor Louis Liebenberg (second right) with supporters at The Afrikaner Leaders Forum held at The Maslow Times Square in Pretoria on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Emacous Simphiwe Moyo)

At the upmarket conference centre, a gathering spot of the city’s who’s who, Liebenberg sat listening attentively as Zuma addressed the crowd, promising that white people would be safe if the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party came to power.

“We developed, all of us, from the old days to today. We will always say, let us be together, let us unite. We are not going to kill anyone. Not at all. During the armed struggle there was an agreement, if you arrest you don’t kill. All liberation movement [sic] did not come back with impimpis [informers]. We came back with them. This indicates how we were looking at the future,” he said, according to this News24 report.

Diamond dealer and Zuma benefactor Louis Liebenberg (centre) in the audience during former president Jacob Zuma’s address at The Maslow Times Square in Pretoria on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Emacous Simphiwe Moyo)

Liebenberg is a well-known Zuma benefactor. He gave cows to the former president and co-funded his court case against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. For more on Liebenberg’s colourful past, see Marianne Thamm’s essay here.

The MK party made a weekend of it and the day after the Liebenberg meeting, it held a recruitment drive in Mapleton, where Ekurhuleni displayed its growing support.

Nomakhosazana Mkhize, an MK party member in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni, during a recruitment drive on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

A delighted Bongani Phinzi in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni, during the MK party recruitment drive. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

MK party members shake hands at the recruitment drive in Mapletonm Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Ekurhuleni has 25% of Gauteng’s registered voters, and the province, with 6.5 million voters, will be a key battleground in the 29 May election. The metro is run-down and chaotic, as are Johannesburg and Pretoria.

MK paraphernalia, including T-shirts and golf shirts, were offered for sale and traders did brisk business. MK members sang struggle songs, including the lamentation Wenzeni uZuma (What has Zuma done?).

MK party members dance to struggle songs in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Richard Hleta uses a loudhailer at the MK party recruitment drive in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

MK faces two court cases from a spooked ANC, which is challenging its registration by the Electoral Commission and its use of the name uMkhonto Wesizwe.

Umkhonto weSizwe was, of course, the name of the armed wing of the ANC. The new political party also uses the green, black and gold colours of the ANC.

“We want to get into power and change all challenges facing the country,” said Richard Hleta, a party member.

MK interim spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said, “We see ourselves as a solution, not as an alternative. So Abantu [people] are organising themselves because of Msholozi [Zuma]. He has references and he’s got a track record. The people of Ekurhuleni have been ill-treated by this so-called coalition [an ANC-EFF coalition runs the metro].

“Once you win Ekurhuleni, you only need Emfuleni [a smaller council] and then Soweto [and you win Gauteng]. People say enough is enough.”

MK joined the All African Alliance Movement (AAM) at a February gathering in Walkerville, Gauteng. The AAAM is a movement of charismatic churches once associated with former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Zuma’s renegade MK Party labelled a visionless shell, but it cannot be overlooked

 MK is fighting the election primarily in KZN and Gauteng, the provinces with the most registered voters. Recent polls have shown that its support is growing fast. DM