uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and its leader, former president Jacob Zuma, continue to woo traditional leaders and cultural groups across the country despite being dumped by Injeje yabeNguni and royal kingdoms this week.

Injeje announced this week that it had resolved to rescind its endorsement of MKP throughout the country with immediate effect.

“This determination emerged from a special conclave convened to deliberate extensively upon the strained relations between MKP and the revered institution on uBukhosi,” the cultural group said this week.

It cited its visit to Zuma’s kwaDakwadunuse homestead in kwaNxamalala, Nkandla a week ago as the events that precipitated the decision.

Traditional leaders from across the country were forced to leave without an audience with Zuma and accused the MKP of deliberately and systematically disregarding traditional leaders’ authority.

According to Injeje, the MKP has made it abundantly clear with its treatment of traditional leaders that the continued association would result in erosion of dignity and diminishing of their forefathers’ thrones.

iMpuma Kapa Royal Kingdoms, which is made up of traditional leaders mainly from the Eastern Cape, withdrew from the MKP.

The organisation accused the MKP of undermining their dignity and called for unity among traditional leaders and completely withdraw from political parties, which they accuse of undermining them.

Another organisation of traditional leaders calling itself, Transvaal Kingdom of Monarchs, also withdrew its backing of the MKP.

“We have learnt a valuable lesson particularly in the context of the 2026 local government elections. The treatment we received within the MKP is a harbinger of what we can expect if the party were to take over our jurisdictions and territories,” the organisation said.

Injeje, iMpuma Kapa Royal Kingdoms and Transvaal Kingdom of Monarchs are due to hold host a press conference on September 1 to formally communicate their decision to abandon the MKP.

This week, it also emerged that Zuma and the MKP was being lobbied to appoint a secretary-general among traditional leaders.

A delegation, led by Prince Khulekani Dlomo from the Makhabeleni Traditional Council in Kranskop near Greytown, said a priority on the agenda in the meeting with Zuma was to allow amakhosi to choose a new secretary-general for the party as they needed someone from their ranks with a clear understanding of the traditional leadership protocols.

The traditional leaders believe they would not have been snubbed if the party had a secretary-general from a royal family.

On Friday, the MKP appointed Dr. Bongani Mncwango as its new secretary-general and Nomsa Dlamini as his deputy.

However, the MKP appears undeterred by this week’s events after the three organisations dumped the country’s official opposition.

MKP national chairperson Nathi Nhleko said the party met with Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) deputy president Kgosi Nyalala Pilane and secretary-general Zolani Mkiva.

“Our political system must reflect our identity [and] not borrowed laws from colonial masters,” said Nhleko.

The MKP meeting with Contralesa, which was held a week ago, to discuss the marginalisation of traditional leaders and the erosion of African governance systems and they agreed to mobilise traditional leaders for the 2026 local government elections as well as advocate for the restoration of customary law as the foundation of South African jurisprudence.

Zuma described the MKP as the last hope of the African child, the worker, the traditional leader, and the forgotten majority.

Loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za

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