Mduduzi Mapinda

PERHAPS WE SHOULD LOOK BEYOND THE MKP's ALLEGED FAMILY STOKVEL NARRATIVE: UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICS, THE PAIN AND THE BREAKING POINT OF JACOB ZUMA THE MAN! It is sometimes amusing how quickly some comrades dismiss the MK Party as a family stokvel or a family business, almost as though the phenomenon of political families, political inheritance and the advancement of relatives in our country's political and diplomatic establishments began with Jacob Zuma. But if we are going to have this conversation, then surely we must be honest and consistent in how we apply our political criticism. And if the argument is that Zuma has turned the MKP into a family affair, perhaps we should first ask ourselves whether we can genuinely blame the old man for wanting to create opportunities for his own children, particularly when we consider the political culture that has existed within the ANC and the broader democratic state. There has, for years, been a discernible political tradition in which the children and relatives of liberation struggle stalwarts have found their way into positions of prominence, including diplomatic postings. The President, exercising the constitutional prerogative to appoint ambassadors and other heads of mission, has considerable discretion in making such appointments. While these appointments are not formally reserved for the families of former struggle heroes, one cannot ignore the number of individuals from prominent liberation families who have occupied and still occupy some of these positions. Consider the Tambo family. Thembi Tambo, daughter of Oliver and Adelaide Tambo, built a diplomatic career that included serving as South Africa's Consul General in Hong Kong, Ambassador in Rome and, subsequently, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2018 and 2022. Then there is the Sisulu family. Beryl Sisulu, the adopted daughter of Walter and Albertina Sisulu, is a career diplomat who has served in several diplomatic postings, including Norway, Japan, Greece and Australia, and was subsequently appointed South Africa's Ambassador to Mexico. There is also Sheila Sisulu, who was married to Walter and Albertina Sisulu's son, Lungi Sisulu. She served as South Africa's Consul General in Washington, DC, before becoming the country's first Black ambassador to the United States. She later occupied senior positions within the United Nations system, including with the World Food Programme. The Mandela family provides another example. Zenani Mandela-Dlamini has served South Africa in various diplomatic capacities, including as Ambassador to Argentina, High Commissioner to Mauritius and Ambassador to South Korea. She was subsequently appointed Ambassador to Sweden in December 2024. Her late sister, Zindzi Mandela, also served as South Africa's Ambassador to Denmark from 2015 until her passing in July 2020. I could go on and on. The point is not to diminish the contributions of these individuals, question their qualifications or suggest that they did not deserve their respective appointments. That would be an unfair, malicious and intellectually dishonest argument. Many have made meaningful contributions in their own right. The point, however, is to interrogate a political culture that has, over the years, afforded members of certain prominent political families opportunities and access to positions of influence, while seemingly applying a completely different standard when it comes to Jacob Zuma and his own children. 1/3 – at Milnerton, South Africa