Whistleblower Zulu returns to frontline politics with new party

Prominent Pietermaritzburg anti-corruption activist and whistleblower Thabiso Zulu has officially re-entered frontline politics after accepting a senior leadership position in the newly launched African Renaissance Unity (ARU).

Zulu was a close friend of former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, who was assassinated in 2017 while serving as a councillor at Umzimkhulu Municipality.

Since Magaqa’s murder, Zulu has campaigned on the basis that the killing was politically motivated.

Zulu, who in 2018 testified at the Moerane Commission into KwaZulu-Natal’s political killings, was vindicated after evidence at both the Madlanga Commission and the Pietermaritzburg High Court showed that Magaqa was killed for exposing corruption.

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On Saturday, Zulu was unveiled as the national organiser of the ARU during its official launch in Durban, where political leaders, former public representatives and activists gathered ahead of the November local government elections.

The launch attracted high-profile guests, including MK Party founder Jabulani Khumalo, who publicly endorsed ARU leader Siphephile Mahlaba.

Zulu, who has built a national profile through his anti-corruption activism, said the new party will not succumb to populism.

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We are not guided by microwave technology with quick-fix solutions.

He said South Africans had grown weary of political parties that responded only to media headlines instead of addressing the country’s deep-rooted socio-economic challenges.

“People are tired of reactionary politics. Politicians who follow media trends. Parties have good policies but fail to implement them. There is no rainbow nation if people feel disenfranchised. We want to represent everyone,” he said.

Mahlaba, formerly the secretary-general of the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, said ARU had been established to restore ethical leadership and place communities at the centre of governance.

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He criticised the country’s political leadership for enriching itself while millions remained trapped in poverty despite South Africa’s abundant natural resources.

Too many leaders pursue personal wealth and power. People are tired of empty promises and leaders who think only of themselves and their friends.

Mahlaba outlined an ambitious policy programme centred on agriculture, employment creation, housing, education, healthcare and support for traditional leadership.

Among the party’s proposals are expanding agricultural production through communal land, introducing practical skills such as farming and plumbing in schools, reducing the tax burden on citizens and converting abandoned buildings into affordable housing.

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Khumalo, whose legal battle to regain control of the MK Party from former president Jacob Zuma continues, said he attended the launch because he had worked closely with Mahlaba during the formation of the MK Party.