By Johnathan Paoli
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has announced its plans to hold its 1st year anniversary rally at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban next month, in acknowledgment of the pivotal role played by KwaZulu-Natal in securing electoral support.
MK secretary-general Floyd Shivambu, along with other executives from the party, held a media briefing on Wednesday. He said the municipality of eThekwini was chosen as it had contributed the most votes in the national and provincial elections earlier this year.
Shivambu said his party secured approximately 600,000 votes in the May elections, and that the event would not only be a celebration of the support it enjoyed, but an opportunity to mobilise for change.
“It’s not just a celebration, but a call to action to the people of KZN to stand up and defend the votes they gave to MK and for MK to mobilise the people to reject the illegitimate KZN government,” he said.
The birthday rally will be held at the stadium on 15 December, with party leader and former president Jacob Zuma expected to deliver the keynote address.
Shivambu said a gala dinner would be hosted on the next night, where stakeholders and supporters could engage with the leadership.
He confirmed that the establishment of the party’s headquarters, expected to be located in Marshalltown in central Johannesburg, was in its final stages, and would be completed before the end of the month.
Shivambu said the Durban wing’s location and establishment would be finalised before the end of next month.
He described the upcoming rally as fundamental to the party’s drive to increase support throughout the country, and called on its leaders to use the opportunity to grow the progressive alliance against the Government of National Unity.
“Our role as the leadership of MK is to defend the gains and advance them to ensure a greater representation even in those areas we did not win,” Shivambu said.
Furthermore, the party confirmed that Shivambu would currently play two roles as both SG and national organiser for the party, until someone was appointed to the latter position.
The MK is the third largest party in South Africa.
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