Zandile Gumede Leaves ANC for MK Party as Zuma Ally Takes Senior KZN Leadership Role
Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede has officially parted ways with the African National Congress (ANC), marking another significant political shift in KwaZulu-Natal as she joins Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party).
The dramatic announcement was made during a media briefing in Durban on Monday, where MK Party leaders unveiled Gumede as one of several high-profile political recruits. Her arrival is expected to strengthen the party’s influence in the province, where it has rapidly emerged as one of the ANC’s biggest challengers.
Gumede’s move is particularly significant given her long history within the ANC. She previously served as ANC eThekwini regional chairperson, was mayor of South Africa’s third-largest metro, and later became a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
Her political relationship with former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has long been regarded as one of her defining alliances. That connection has now become official as she takes up a senior leadership position within the party.
MK Party Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo confirmed that Gumede has been appointed as the party’s Deputy Coordinator in KwaZulu-Natal, signalling that she will play a central role in expanding the organisation’s structures across the province.
However, Gumede’s political comeback comes against the backdrop of an ongoing high-profile corruption case.
She remains on trial in connection with the controversial R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender, where she faces allegations of fraud and corruption linked to the awarding of a waste collection contract in eThekwini. Gumede has consistently maintained her innocence throughout the legal proceedings.
She was introduced alongside several other new MK Party members, including former uMgungundlovu District Municipality deputy mayor Fucwana Zungu and former KwaZulu-Natal Member of the Provincial Legislature Mxolisi Phakathi.
The latest defections underscore the MK Party’s continued efforts to attract experienced political figures as it consolidates its presence ahead of future political contests.
Following the announcement, Nomvalo declined to answer further questions from journalists about the broader purpose of the briefing.
Political observers had anticipated that the party would also address the controversy surrounding Jacob Zuma’s recent visit to India, which sparked widespread public debate and intense media scrutiny.
The MK Party did not comment on the matter during the briefing. Party officials have previously maintained that Zuma’s trip was a private visit and insisted that the former president has the right to meet anyone, anywhere in the world.
Gumede’s decision to leave the ANC represents another symbolic blow for the governing party in KwaZulu-Natal, a province where the MK Party has continued to attract prominent former ANC leaders and reshape the political landscape.
