Former South African president Jacob Zuma has said his political party – uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) – will join the opposition alliance in parliament.
He said he would coordinate resistance to the coalition government led by the African National Congress (ANC).
Despite this, MK claimed that last month’s elections were rigged and wanted the results to be annulled.
Mr Zuma’s speech on Sunday was read by MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela, who said the ANC was no longer part of the solution.
Zuma said there was no government of national unity in South Africa and described the partnership as an “unholy white-led alliance between the DA and Ramaphosa’s ANC”.
The ANC lost its absolute majority for the first time since the end of apartheid and sealed a power-sharing deal at the weekend with the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Several smaller parties have also joined what the ANC calls a national unity government.
Its MPs on Friday re-elected ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as president, but a government has not yet been formed.
The DA and ANC are sworn enemies and a power-sharing agreement between them was once considered unimaginable by many South Africans.
The DA grew from a union of groups that included what remained of the National Party, in power in the apartheid era, and is an advocate of free market economics – at odds with the ANC’s left-wing traditions.
Zuma also confirmed on Sunday that MK had filed a court case demanding that the election results be declared invalid and that a new vote be held.
Zuma told his supporters to “submit or fight back” using peaceful means.
“We will fight to win back our country from the enemies of progress,” he said.
There are fears that Zuma’s stance could spark violence among his supporters, who sparked deadly riots in July 2021, when he was arrested for refusing to give evidence at a public inquiry into corruption during his administration.
Police reinforcements were sent to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma, 82, said his party would soon go to parliament after boycotting Friday’s first session.
The newly formed MK performed surprisingly well in the elections, becoming the third largest party in the country and taking a large share of the ANC’s vote.
He obtained 12% of the votes and obtained 58 seats in parliament.
Zuma said MK would become part of the official opposition, joining a group of small parties calling themselves the Progressive Caucus.
The caucus, which collectively controls almost a third of the seats, includes the radical Economic Freedom Fighters and the center-left United Democratic Movement.
Zuma was a veteran of the ANC but fell out with the party after he was forced to resign as president in 2018 due to corruption scandals. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
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