Media Statements

The African National Congress (ANC) has noted, with concern, the circulation of a voice recording purportedly featuring the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), Jacob Zuma. 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.

At this stage, the ANC has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio, nor has Mr. Zuma publicly confirmed its contents. 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 Mr. Zuma or the MKP to join the Government of National Unity. No such discussions have taken place.

These claims, if indeed attributable to Jacob 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.

Such allegations—unverified and untested—risk misleading the public, sowing confusion, and eroding trust. 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…”

In the current climate, the ANC calls for political maturity, responsible leadership, and a commitment to the values of honesty and accountability. The ANC remains focused on defending the National Democratic Revolution and ensuring that the Government of National Unity that 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.

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