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MK party rallies ahead of critical South African elections

South African President Jacob Zuma attends a joint news conference in Sanya, China Thursday, April 14, 2011.   -  
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Nelson Ching/AP2011

South Africa

Supporters of South Africa's MK Party gathered for a major rally in Kwa-Zulu Natal on Saturday, ahead of the critical elections set for May 29.

The MK Party, founded by former President Jacob Zuma, who is now 82, aims to make a significant impact in the upcoming elections. Zuma, previously the leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), resigned as president in 2018 amid corruption allegations. At the rally, supporters passionately endorsed the party’s vision.

Siboniso Gwala, a supporter of uMkhonto we Sizwe, expressed the party's broad appeal and commitment to liberation. He emphasized the historical significance of the party and its mission to liberate South Africa.

"So, uMkhonto is not only for the people of Natal, it is a calling for South Africa as a whole, no matter who you are. Before guns arrived, we used to wield spears. Every man held a spear to protect their homes. So the spear is what will liberate this country. uMhkonto, sure case, will win the country, there is no doubt about that. We will deal with everything else as time goes. I can’t speak about the ANC because they have their own ideas, and I can’t speak on the EFF because they too have their own ideas, but uMkhonto will liberate black people," Gwala said.

Simultaneously, another group of MK Party supporters in the Eastern Cape gathered to pray for the party's success.

Des Van Rooyen, the Interim Leader of the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party, emphasized the importance of their candidate, Jacob Zuma.

"Our candidate is one, that is comrade President Jacob Zuma. And that is why we are saying our masses, and we are working very hard that our masses must go out in their numbers and make sure that we win these elections with a two-thirds majority. And through that process, we can then ensure that the only person that South Africans want to see as the president of this country gets elected when we go to parliament," Van Rooyen stated.

The upcoming election could be South Africa’s most significant in 30 years, posing the biggest challenge to the ANC's long-standing rule since the end of apartheid in 1994.

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