GNU fallout — Willies Mchunu quits the ANC

‘We wish you all the best and shall forever respect your teachings’ — Bheki Mtolo

ANC veteran Willies Mchunu has quit the party.

In a letter resigning his membership, Mchunu said after much analysis of the trajectory of the ANC post the general elections, specifically the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) and government of provincial unity (GPU), he felt he could no longer add value to the party.

The former KwaZulu-Natal premier indicated he had expressed a divergent view of the route the party should take after losing its electoral majority. While he accepted the decision the party took, criticism levelled against him for raising a view on the matter deeply hurt him.

“I was labelled to the effect that I am politically ignorant, and don't know what communism is. In one PEC (provincial executive committee) meeting, I was reliably informed I was questioned by my leaders as to who am I to tell leadership what to do in the matter,” he said.

The helplessness in my view is neither good for me or for the party.ANC veteran Willies Mchunu

Mchunu is also a former chairperson of the SA Communist Party in KwaZulu-Natal and served as a member of the party's central committee.

He emphasised he accepted the GNU status quo despite his reservations, but has come to the conclusion “I am no longer adding value to the life of the ANC and am ever critical with negative views on many things in the life of the ANC, organisational and in government”. 

“I have discovered with horror that I have lost hope in the ANC’s commitment and ability to pursue the national democratic revolution in the interests of the working class and the poor in this current trajectory.

“The helplessness in my view is neither good for me or for the party. It makes me see myself as a destructive member of the ANC rather than a member dedicated to the strengthening of the party.”

Mchunu said his resignation may open him up to insults, and he may lose friends, but whatever pain he will encounter outside the ANC will be better than the pain he feels inside the movement. 

ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, in his reply to Mchunu, expressed “great pain” but acknowledged the ANC is a voluntary organisation and Mchunu’s decision to quit was respected.

Mtolo challenged Mchunu's views of the GNU, reminding him that at the onset of democracy, the ANC worked with architects of apartheid such as the National Party and the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal, a hostile party to the ANC at the time.  

“If my memory serves me well, subject to correction, the GNU between 1994 and 1999 had parties such as the National Party, which from 1948 at least was responsible for the most murders and torture of many of our comrades. During this period tensions and relations between the ANC and IFP were at their very lowest. Incidents were happening across the province where comrades were losing their lives. At no point did the comrades who participated in the IFP-led GPU withdraw from it or leave the ANC. They continued to serve,” Mtolo said.

“Jacob Zuma, Sbu Ndebele and Zweli Mkhize are some of the ANC leaders who worked with the IFP government on behalf of the ANC to co-govern the province.”

Mtolo asked Mchunu to explain what in the GNU statement of intent, including the post-election state of the nation address, led him to believe the national democratic revolution would be compromised. 

“What is Macingwane’s view on Zuma's participation in the collapse of the revolution in South Africa, especially the national democratic revolution? Does Macingwane believe if Zuma didn’t form his own party the ANC would have lost power at national level and in KwaZulu-Natal, taking into account how Zuma's party reduced ANC support in the province and in Gauteng and Mpumalanga?” Mtolo asked.

“I thought I must raise those issues, Macingwane. Otherwise, we wish you all the best. We shall forever respect your teachings.”

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