Zuma’s role in the upcoming Election: A Spoiler, not a Kingmaker

This year is a significant one for South Africa as it gears up for the elections, and a key factor that has emerged is the ‘Zuma factor’. This follows the decision of former ANC president Jacob Zuma to support the newly formed Umkhonto we Sizwe party for the 2024 election, despite not resigning from the ANC. In an interview with Biznews, Prof Theo Venter, a political analyst at the University of Johannesburg, said that the ANC was taken by surprise by the formation of the MK Party and seems uncertain about how to respond. Venter believes that the new MK party, with Zuma as its figurehead, could impact the ANC’s support in Kwazulu-Natal, but doubts it will have a national influence. When asked if Zuma could emerge as the kingmaker in the upcoming election, Venter suggested that Zuma is more likely to play the role of a spoiler. As for the possibility of Zuma returning to the ANC and seeking forgiveness, Venter believes that the ANC is unlikely to forgive Zuma this time around. According to Venter, the most significant issue in the upcoming election will be load shedding, followed by the cost of living and inflation. He ranks the lack of service delivery by local governments as the third priority for voters. The informal economy, primarily run by foreigners, could also become a contentious issue in the election.