Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a member of the MK party, found herself in hot water after a late-night outburst on social media directed at party secretary general Floyd Shivambu. In her posts, she called Shivambu “the worst thing that happened to MK” and labeled him as “useless”. Despite not tagging Shivambu directly, Zuma-Sambudla’s messages were clear in their intent.
Realizing the error of her ways, Zuma-Sambudla issued a public apology the following day. However, her apology was not directed at Shivambu but rather at her father, former South African president Jacob Zuma, who is now the president of the MK party, and the party leadership. She acknowledged that airing her grievances publicly was a mistake and went against the core values and principles of the party.
In response to Zuma-Sambudla’s actions, President Zuma issued a directive demanding an unconditional public apology to Shivambu, the party president, members, supporters of uMkhonto weSizwe, and the people of South Africa. Failure to comply would result in immediate consequences, including the termination of Zuma-Sambudla’s membership in the party and her recall from party responsibilities.
The reasons behind Zuma-Sambudla’s outburst remain unclear, but reports suggest that she was part of a faction within the party unhappy with Shivambu’s leadership. Despite calls for his removal, the party president has expressed full confidence in Shivambu and has no intention of ousting him from his position.
As tensions within the MK party continue to simmer, it is evident that internal discord and disagreements need to be addressed through proper channels to maintain unity, discipline, and respect within the organization. Zuma-Sambudla’s public apology serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the values and principles of the party, even in times of disagreement and dissent.
