MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has claimed the formation of the party was his idea. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

• Jacob Zuma says his party was going to be a “big problem” for the IEC.
• Without providing any evidence, Zuma claimed his party won the national and provincial elections.
• Find everything you need to know about the 2024 general elections on News24’s Elections Hub.

uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader Jacob Zuma warned the IEC that it “didn’t know what his party was made of” and that it “would do something that had never happened before”: lay charges against the electoral body.

Zuma addressed his members outside the Electoral Court sitting at the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, claiming without any evidence that his newly-formed party won the 2024 national elections outright.

“We campaigned thoroughly. South Africans believed in us,” Zuma said.

Zuma was in court on Monday for MKP founder Jabulani Khumalo’s legal challenge to get reinstated as party leader. Judgment in the matter was reserved.

News24 has taken an editorial decision not to repeat Zuma or the MK Party’s untested claims of vote rigging before they have been investigated. 

READ | ‘Inflammatory at most’: Zuma’s comments do not meet incitement threshold, says expert

“Where does the DA get so many votes? Where does the ANC get these votes because we have joined the MKP in numbers?” he asked.

“We appealed before the results were officially announced. Upon hearing our complaint, the IEC rushed to announce the results. I wanted to tell them not to make the mistakes before they fix the mistake we showed them.”

The results are, however, always announced on the weekend after elections and there is no evidence that the IEC rushed the announcement.

Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party directed their anger towards the party’s founder Khumalo, who denies writing a letter to the IEC announcing Zuma as the party’s leader. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

Emotions ran high outside the Gauteng High Court on Monday as members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party directed insults and threw various objects at MK Party founder Jabulani Khumalo as he exited the court. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

“They are provoking us. We haven’t left this matter alone. We are going to walk slowly with them. We are the smartest in South Africa… We won’t back down.”

The former president said the MK Party was going to lay charges against the IEC.

“Let’s remain calm. We will deal with them until the matter is concluded.

“The IEC is going to recount our votes. Those are our votes, not the IEC votes,” Zuma said.

The MK Party and its supporters have been driving a consistent narrative targeting the IEC – and by extension, the electoral process itself, since the beginning of the year.

READ | MK Party supporters amplify attacks on IEC, undermining electoral trust

In his speech outside court, Zuma, who fell asleep during the court case, called on his members to listen to their leaders.

“We don’t want people to die. We want to show them [the IEC] that we are South Africans. We will correct them… We are number one. We produced big votes. We are silently working on this matter. We have won these elections. We want to rule this country how we want,” Zuma fumed.

Jabulani Khumalo, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party founder leaving the court with a smile moments before angry MKP members insulted him. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

Former president Jacob Zuma singing outside the Gauteng High Court following the hearing of an urgent application against himself and the MK Party. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

However, he provided no evidence to back up any of his claims.

Zuma took several swipes at President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he wouldn’t vote for a leader who “hides money under the mattress”, a reference to the Phala Phala scandal.

“I said I won’t resign from the ANC. They must know I am away [from the ANC]. I love its members but hate its leaders. We are not new to this game. I have ears [within the ANC], and they told me that [senior ANC leaders] are fighting among themselves. What I heard from my sources is scary.

“Their leader [President Cyril Ramaphosa] wants to join the people [the DA] we fought against when we wanted freedom. Other leaders are opposing him, saying they don’t want to go to that route,” Zuma said.

Zuma claimed the MKP was his brainchild alone.

An MKP member holds a wooden spear outside the Gauteng High Court on Monday. (Alfonso Nqunjana/News24)

“When I started to notice that the ANC didn’t listen if we tried to convince them, I decided to go underground. I spoke to a few comrades, telling them how to tackle the ANC. After seeing that those few people spoke big English terms, I decided to do it on my own.

“I mapped everything alone. I also met Jabulani Khumalo, his brother and a friend. I told them I couldn’t go and register the party. I told them I wanted to form a new party called uMkhonto weSizwe Party,” said Zuma.

READ | KZN police, residents ready themselves for July unrest 2.0 after Zuma’s threats

“I couldn’t register the party independently because ANC members would know. I convinced Khumalo, his friend and brother, to register the MKP because I prevented the ANC leaders from noticing our plans.

“Khumalo once came to me saying people were asking who he was. I advised him to remain silent. If they persisted, he must tell them Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma was behind our new party.”