Supporters of South Africa’s upstart Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) or “Spear of the Nation” party took to the streets in Pretoria on Monday, protesting the partial freezing of former president Jacob Zuma’s bank account by First National Bank (FNB).
A group of MK “ground commanders” demonstrated outside FNB’s headquarters in the capital city’s central business district.
The protest action comes after the bank said it was legally compelled to freeze portions of the 81-year-old’s accounts due to an ongoing dispute related to state funds Zuma allegedly misused for renovations at his private home, including installing a swimming pool, while he was president.
The account freeze deals another reputational blow to the legally embattled Zuma, who was ousted as president in 2018 amid a cloud of corruption allegations.
He has since joined the MK party in hopes of rebooting his political career and disrupting support for his former party, the African National Congress (ANC), ahead of South Africa’s high-stakes May 29 general elections.
However, Zuma’s attempted comeback hit a stumbling block when the nation’s electoral commission on Thursday barred him from standing as a candidate, upholding objections citing his 2021 contempt of court conviction and 15-month jail sentence for defying anti-graft investigators.
He has until April 2 to appeal the decision disqualifying his candidacy.
Thursday’s protest highlights how Zuma remains a polarizing figure capable of galvanizing his supporters, even as he faces prosecution on separate corruption charges linked to a 1990s arms deal. It underscores the potential for unrest if he is blocked from the ballot in elections forecast to be the most fiercely contested since apartheid’s demise in 1994.
The MK party, has positioned itself as a radical departure from the ANC’s perceived shortcomings. Recent polls project it could capture around 13% of the national vote, making it a potential kingmaker if the ANC’s support erodes below 50% and forces formation of a coalition government.
With two months until South Africans cast their ballots, the country’s political temperature seems set to rise amid protracted legal battles over Zuma’s eligibility and conduct. The former president’s ongoing ability to stir controversy and mobilize his base, as exhibited by Monday’s demonstrations, will likely remain a disruptive force.
