Nathi Nhleko, a former senior government minister in South Africa, has resigned from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), expressing deep disappointment in the party’s recent actions. In a scathing critique, Nhleko accused the ANC of implementing austerity measures and dismantling state-owned companies, stating that he no longer recognized the party he once joined. As a close ally of scandal-plagued former President Jacob Zuma, Nhleko’s resignation comes as another blow to the already embattled ANC.
Nhleko’s decision to sever ties with the ANC follows the suspension of Zuma earlier this year for endorsing a rival political party. It remains uncertain whether Nhleko intends to align himself with Zuma’s new political venture, the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party. The former minister’s resignation letter displayed resonances of the rhetoric used by Zuma during his announcement of support for MK. The party draws its name from the ANC’s armed wing, which fought against white-minority rule in South Africa.
During his tenure as police minister in Zuma’s cabinet, Nhleko drew widespread criticism for defending the use of $23 million of government funds to upgrade Zuma’s private residence in Nkandla. Nhleko argued that the expenditure was justified as necessary security upgrades, even going so far as to label a swimming pool as a “fire pool” to justify its construction. The extravagant upgrades, including an amphitheatre, cattle enclosure, and chicken run, became a symbol of the corruption and abuse of power plaguing Zuma’s presidency.
Nhleko’s resignation seems to have been triggered, in part, by comments made during the ANC’s campaign trail in January. Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula accused him of defending “lies” in parliament, leading Nhleko to make the decision to leave the party. In his letter, Nhleko criticized the ANC’s recent policies, particularly the perceived transfer of economic control to the “white-dominated private sector” and the reduction in social spending, which adversely affects vulnerable communities.
In response to Nhleko’s departure, ANC KwaZulu-Natal Secretary Bheki Mtolo welcomed the resignation, stating that it had been long overdue. Mtolo referred to Nhleko’s infamous description of the Nkandla swimming pool as a “fire pool” and suggested that it had damaged his political career irreparably.
Nhleko served as police minister from 2014 until 2017, and then as public works minister until Zuma’s removal from office by President Cyril Ramaphosa. In December, Zuma openly criticized Ramaphosa, asserting that campaigning on behalf of the ANC under Ramaphosa’s leadership would amount to betrayal. Zuma accused Ramaphosa of being a “proxy of white monopoly capital,” a claim that the ANC has vehemently denied.
With the upcoming general election on May 29th, the ANC is facing its toughest challenge yet. Several opinion polls indicate that the party may lose its outright majority for the first time since it ascended to power in 1994. A recent poll showed MK obtaining around 10% of the national vote, with a quarter of the vote in Zuma’s stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal.
The ANC’s political woes deepen with the departure of Nathi Nhleko, further highlighting the divisions within the party and the growing disillusionment with its current direction. As South Africa prepares to cast their votes, the ANC must find ways to regain the trust of the electorate and address the concerns raised by its former members if it wishes to maintain its dominant position.
