EXCLUSIVE: MK Party will survive the test of time: Mpofu

Former EFF chairperson, Advocate Dali Mpofu, is confident that the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK) will survive the test of time.

He has sought to dispel the notion that the official opposition is a regional party that largely appeals to voters in KwaZulu-Natal and that it will not outlive its leader, former President Jacob Zuma.

The party seeks to expand its base to other provinces.

After securing a victory in KwaZulu-Natal and doing well in Mpumalanga and Gauteng during the May polls, the party now seeks to gain firm ground in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.

Mpofu defended the party during an exclusive interview with SABC News on his decision to join the MK Party.

“So, the base of uMkhonto we Sizwe obviously is in KZN for obvious reasons. We can’t run away from the fact that former President Zuma, the person whose brainchild it was, comes from there, has always had a big base – even the ANC exploited that base. But one thing that former President Zuma was always adamant about is that he does not want an ethnic party, he does not want an only party. That is why the announcement was on the 16th of December, and I was part of that planning in Gauteng. That is why the manifesto launch was deliberately done in Gauteng.”

Meanwhile, Mpofu says he has not yet relayed the news of his departure from the EFF to its leader, Julius Malema.

Malema has on various occasions stressed the importance of loyalty and brotherhood in public engagements.

However, Mpofu stresses that the move is not against the leader of the red berets but for the people of South Africa.

Mpofu: “No, I haven’t to be fair and I have tried to reach out to him but there’s no need to inform anyone at any particular time. there’s no bad blood. we will talk.”

Mbeje: “As a courtesy?”

Mpofu: “Yes, as a courtesy, I’ll extend that courtesy even after this announcement and I’m sure that our paths will meet in this difficult journey for unity. There’s nothing personal about this at all. It’s not anything that is being done against a particular person. It’s something I’m doing for my people.”