Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
5 March 2024 | 13:00 CAT
2 min read

The National Spokesperson for SANCO, a group allied with the ANC, has dealt a significant blow to the organisation by resigning to join Jacob Zuma’s MK party.

Thamsanqa Kenke’s decision comes weeks after SANCO publicly reaffirmed its loyalty to the ANC and distanced itself from Zuma’s MK party. Kenke, who served as an NEC member and an ordinary member of SANCO, cited a crisis of conscience, stating he can no longer support or campaign for the ANC due to what he perceives as dishonesty.

Five members have offered their resignations in response to the removal of former president Jacob Zuma as SANCO’s provincial chair.

Provincial Secretary Sizwe Cele issued a caution to members against openly supporting other political parties. Cele emphasised that endorsing a party other than the ANC would violate SANCO’s national conference resolution to support the ANC in the forthcoming general election. Any member found breaching this resolution would face charges and be processed through internal democratic procedures.

In his statement, Kenke stated that this is a new political SANCO that wishes away members for holding a different political view other than that of the ANC and that it is not the SANCO that he joined.

Thamsanqa Kenke told Radio Islam, that he could not tell people loadshedding will be a thing of the past, or promise jobs to unemployed people, when he knows it is a lie. “Some of us still have morals within us; we cannot face our people and lie straight to them. I was planning not to even campaign because there were no alternatives until Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) of Jacob Zuma came along and I jumped on the bandwagon,” he said.

Kenke believes Umkhonto weSizwe will improve the state of the country.

“The track record of Jacob Zuma speaks for itself. When he was President of the country, SA was a construction site, because Zuma was a champion of infrastructure and development in Africa. Unlike what has been happening, if Umkhonto weSizwe is victorious in the upcoming elections, South Africa will be back to its glory days,” he said.

Kenke expressed disappointment in the government’s inability to intervene during the country’s development stage to transform people’s lives for the better.

Kenke asserted that individuals must return to SANCO and resign, as he believes they have been deceived or misled.

LISTEN to the full interview with Muallimah Annisa Essack and Thamsanqa Kenke’s, here.