The Jacob Zuma-led MK Party’s constitution, its first formal guidelines, focuses on land reclamation and the return of all natural and economic resources.
The party promises to work together with all progressive left leaning political organisations.
The party’s constitution was launched last week by its national organiser Floyd Shivambu, who said it covers a broad range of issues, from a code of conduct to policy.
The MKP said it would not be holding an elective conference as it had elected its national leadership and that such a conference could prove divisive and lead to factionalism.
The preamble reflects on the country’s political history, dating back to colonial and apartheid oppression and states that the party is a means to address the historical racial and economic polarisation.
The party will share the black, green and gold of the ANC, with the constitution stating that the green of the MKP “represents the land which must be reclaimed from colonial settlers and equitably redistributed to all the people and preserved as the legacy of future generations”.
The land issue also appears in its aim and objectives, with the party stating that it wants to reclaim all the land and natural resources “that were forcefully and violently taken from indigenous people and redistribute them to all the people equitably through the instrumentality of the democratic state”.
At the launch of the constitution, Zuma said elective conferences would be banned and instead the party would only hold consultative conferences where it would discuss its activities and drive improvement.
He said, based on his experience, elected officials were often chosen based on their financial status, describing this as an undemocratic practice.
“There are presidents today who are only presidents because they have money. But know nothing about the presidency or anything that is presidential. It has become a business, not even a proper business but a corrupt business,” Zuma said.
He said money was exchanged to elect favoured candidates during elective conferences and this did not reflect true democracy.
The constitution also allows for dual membership in exceptional and strategic circumstances, with the approval of the party leadership.
Shivambu said the dual membership was not specifically designed for Zuma but was intended for other members who might hesitate to leave their current parties for fear of losing their positions within their communities.
Zuma held a dual membership with the MKP and ANC until he was expelled from the ANC in June for breaching its constitution by campaigning for the MKP in the 29 May general elections.
Zuma appealed the sanction but the matter has not been ruled upon by the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee.
Shivambu also said that any new MKP member will be put on 24-month probation before being fully accepted as a party member.
During this probation, if the member is found to have significantly violated the code of conduct, the party's senior officials have the authority to terminate or suspend their membership.
Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal described the MKP’s stance on land as populist, as the party stated that the land belongs to the people but that traditional leaders are custodians of the land.
“The recognition of traditional leaders as custodians of the land in a constitutional democracy is a contradiction as it does not benefit a Zulu language speaker.
“This is a populist statement without any thought being put into how this can materialise.”
Ndlovu said the MKP’s stance on land did not take into account the issue of citizens not enjoying their rights when others are custodians of the land.
Another analyst, Lukhona Mnguni, said the MKP guidelines will get everyone in the party behind one document that details what is expected of them.
“The document also outlines the politics of MKP in terms of what it stands for, what its values are and what its expects of its membership.
“It also highlights the hierarchy and structures of the party but also shows how much power the president is envisaged to have.”
The Mercury