13 DAYS TO FIX LOCAL: Duduzane Zuma answers eight key questions as MK fights for a place in government

Duduzane Zuma, the son of former president Jacob Zuma, has spent much of his life around politics, but was not directly involved until two years ago.

Now, he finds himself at the centre of some of the biggest political decisions the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party will have to make as it prepares to negotiate its way into government in several municipalities.

As the party’s first deputy president, Zuma has been tasked with leading coalition negotiations that could see the MK party take control of several municipalities, including eThekwini, where it has become the largest party, but failed to secure an outright majority.

It is a big responsibility for Zuma, who admits that although he grew up around politics, he has not always been directly involved. His growing prominence also comes as the party faces questions about its leadership stability, its ability to govern and whether he could one day take over from his father.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Zuma reflected on his political journey, the lessons learnt from the 2024 elections, his ambitions for eThekwini and the frequent leadership reshuffles within the MK party, which he dismissed as teething problems. He also spoke about his father’s leadership and whether he saw himself following in his footsteps.

Question: You have not always been involved in politics, despite growing up in a political family. What has the journey been like so far?

Answer: I haven’t been on the frontline like many people, but we understand the game. We grew up around it. We know who is who and what is what, but this time around, an opportunity has been presented, not just for MK, but for the country.

What I always say is that everyone in society needs to take their place, take a stand. Being an activist doesn’t necessarily mean you sit in some municipal office or some government department. It’s about making change in the community.

Everything that happens in this country is politically driven: where we shop, what we eat, where we go, how we socialise. So, at some point, you have to take a stand.

Q: In the 2024 national and provincial elections, the MK party performed well, but ultimately found itself outside government, almost caught off guard when the coalition talks started. Did the party take any lessons from that, and how will you approach coalition negotiations differently this time?

A: You are absolutely correct. I think last time there was a plan in place, except this time they have been strengthened. I will be there and so there will be no shenanigans. We want to work with people who are honest, who are not going to take us for a ride, simple as that.

Our attitude has been to engage with organisations that have the same standpoint as us, similar values, morals and policies.

Q: The MK party has emerged as the biggest party in eThekwini, but governing the city will require coalition agreements. What are your plans for the metro?

A: Reindustrialisation, more than anything, and that will deal with every other issue. The water crisis, electricity – it’s about having the correct systems in place that will run optimally. It’s about getting people who will deliver.

We don’t want people sitting down when we’re supposed to be active. You can feel when a lot of departments are on cruise control. The whip will be cracked.

There’s a lot of money that is being wasted, not just wasteful expenditure, but because of people who are lacking.

We want the budget to grow so that we can enforce and get things done from a service delivery perspective. So, reindustrialisation is going to be a drive. It’s going to dictate what is built, how it is built and where it is built.

Water, electricity, roads – we are going full force on them, using not just the government budget, but partnering with private entities, local and international, to make sure that we get the city back to first class.

Q: There is a possibility that the ANC, IFP and DA could once again work together to keep the MK party out of government in municipalities such as eThekwini. Are you prepared for that possibility?

A: They’ve done it before. They’re probably going to try it again, but we are here. Lots of lessons learnt, but things will be different.

Q: There have been concerns about instability in the party, given the constant reshuffling of leaders, most recently the secretary-general, Sibonelo Nomvalo. How do you respond to concerns that this could affect the party’s ability to govern?

A: If you look at the leader of the party, he’s got a history of reshuffles. I think he still holds the record for the majority of them as a head of state, so he’s brought that culture into the organisation, and he is very clear on that.

We are not going to be held to ransom by anyone over a position. What you are expected to do, you should do as per your role and responsibility, and if you’re not doing that, then you shouldn’t be there.

So I think people need to understand that even though the MK is a two-year-old party, it is still institutionalising. It came out six months before the 2024 elections, and it did amazing things. It’s been growing organically. I mean, the structures are still there.

These things happen. These are teething problems. We will find the right people. It’s not being arrogant or heavy-handed. We want the right people to do the job.

Q: The MK party has often been accused of being a tribalistic party, mostly because much of its support comes from KZN. What do you make of that?

A: That is not true. The MK party should be the right party for everyone. We are all about non-racialism, non-sexism and non-tribalism, and non-xenophobic.

Q: There are talks that you are being prepared to eventually succeed your father as leader of the MK party. Is that something you would consider, and do you see yourself following in his footsteps?

A: Given an opportunity, hell yeah.

But I think those are some massive shoes that I don’t think many people can fill, myself included. What he does, he’s been doing, and no one does it better than him. I do me at all times. If I can become half the man that he has been as a politician, statesman and father, I would have made it.

Q: How keen is the MK party to govern, given what happened in 2024?

A: We won’t enter into coalitions just for the sake of it. We are not here to rescue people who have messed up. We don’t want a situation where we are resurrecting parties that people have rejected. DM