Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs head of ministry Lindokuhle Xulu has been accused of pitting former Ukhozi FM personality Ngizwe Mchunu against former president Jacob Zuma.
Mchunu and Zuma, who were once close friends, have allegedly not been on good terms recently.
It is alleged that Mchunu was poached by Xulu to disturb the election campaign of parties that were regarded as a threat to the ANC as the party battles to retain power after the May 29 elections.
Sources in the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and the ANC said Xulu was allegedly given R15 million to counter the EFF and MKP election campaigns in KwaZulu-Natal.
Insiders in the parties say the idea came after Zuma appeared to have gained support from traditional leaders who had, on several occasions, gathered in his homestead in Nkandla after the launch of the MKP.
Mchunu has been a staunch supporter of Zuma and was arrested for allegedly instigating the violence that led to the devastating civil unrest after Zuma’s arrest in 2021.
The sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, say Xulu, who is also an ANC activist and a traditionalist, was identified as the right person to devise strategies to woo traditionalists back to the ANC and he identified Mchunu as a useful tool. It was believed that Mchunu was the man for the job after he proclaimed himself as the president of the traditionalist (amabhinca).
In a video clip that has trended since Saturday, an unknown person blasted Xulu and Mchunu for organising a Maskandi event on Saturday at People’s Park in Durban which was the day MKP was launching its manifesto in Gauteng.
The man said he had received information from credible sources that Mchunu’s event was organised to sabotage the MKP manifesto launch to prevent people from attending the manifesto.
The man added that initially, the event was planned for Gauteng but they had failed to get a venue and, therefore, had ended up in Durban.
The rumours that Mchunu was being used by the ANC grew stronger after his meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa who was said to have planned to speak at Mchunu’s event on Saturday.
People close to Mchunu said the president ended up not coming because people had arrived late and the president had other commitments. Mchunu, Xulu and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula were spotted together on Friday.
The man on the video said he has received information that Xulu had allegedly paid Mchunu R3 million to hire artists for an event on February 10, the same day the EFF were launching its manifesto in Durban. The rally was at Moses Mabhida while Mchunu’s event was at The Workshop, a park 1km or so away from the stadium.
Mchunu and Xulu have denied the allegations.
Xulu said he saw the video clip and had heard the rumours that he was the brains behind Mchunu but had ignored the allegations because he was innocent.
Addressing the party list conference a day after the Manifesto, EFF leader Julius Malema said Mchunu was being used by the ANC, which the party has denied.
Mchunu angrily denied the allegations, saying that he was not even prepared to entertain people who were talking nonsense.
“I do not have money but, as the president of amabhinca, I asked for donations from people to donate sound systems and other things. I established the amabhinca Foundation in order to empower them through education and arts,” said Mchunu.
Although Xulu denied his involvement, the “Daily News” can reveal that he was seen negotiating with police to allow Mchunu to continue with his event on February 10 at the Workshop. The newspaper can also reveal that in the media briefing that was held by Mchunu the day before the event that coincided with EFF’s manifesto on February 10, Xulu was present.
MKP senior member Phumlani Mfeka, who is said to be the brains behind MKP support by traditional leaders, said he heard about Mchunu’s relationship with the ANC but it did not bother him since he did not regard Mchunu as a threat to the MKP.
Mfeka, who is also the founder of Injeje yabeNguni, an African nationalist socio-political group, said the difference between him and Mchunu was that he had physical contact with the traditional leaders while Mchunu organised things online.
“People do not attend Mchunu’s events because they like him. It is because they like maskandi music. I have held many meetings with traditional leaders, without bringing any artists,” said Mfeka.
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