By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
24 April 2025- The African National Congress (ANC) said it has noted with concern the circulation of a voice recording purportedly featuring the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), Jacob Zuma. The ANC highlighted that, in the said recording, the speaker makes claims to the effect that the ANC approached the MKP to join the Government of National Unity (GNU), allegedly as part of a covert agenda to exclude other political parties, specifically the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The ANC national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said at this stage, the party has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio, nor has Zuma publicly confirmed its contents. Bhengu-Motsiri said, however, due to the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of public misperception, the ANC deems it necessary to place the following on public record.
“The ANC categorically states that it has not approached Zuma or the MKP to join the Government of National Unity. No such discussions have taken place. These claims, if indeed attributable to Zuma, are unfounded and misleading.
“The ANC has conducted all GNU engagements transparently, in good faith and in line with the spirit and letter of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. An imperative of national unity in service of the South African people. At no point has the ANC engaged in or contemplated any clandestine strategy to marginalise any
party that is a constituent of the GNU,” she said.
Bhengu-Motsiri further said such allegations—unverified and untested—risk misleading the public, sowing confusion, and eroding trust. She added that they are particularly regrettable when made, or believed to be made, by individuals who have held high office and carry a responsibility to uphold the truth in public discourse.
“As President Samora Machel once warned: “The other face is that of the indirect and secondary enemy, who presents himself under the cover of a nationalist and even as a revolutionary thus making it difficult to identify him.
“The fighter must distinguish friend from foe even if the latter is concealed under the same colour, language, family ties or tribal markings as their own.”
Bhengu-Motsiri said in the current climate, the ANC calls for political maturity, responsible leadership, and a commitment to the values of honesty and accountability. She said the ANC remains focused on defending the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and ensuring that the GNU serves all South Africans.
“We will not be drawn into battles with individuals who have placed themselves in the service of ego rather than the people. Our focus remains resolutely on delivering for our people—on jobs, on fighting poverty, and on building a more just, equal, and non-racial South Africa.
“We reaffirm that the GNU is not a transactional convenience alliance, but a constitutional mechanism to secure inclusive governance, defend democratic gains, and accelerate transformation in the interest of the people of South Africa,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
The Guardian 