Mervyn Dirks, a former Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) for the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal, has announced his commitment to championing the cause of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, currently under the leadership of ex-president Jacob Zuma. This decision comes in the wake of his expulsion from the ANC in the province, a move that has set the stage for his new political journey.

Dirks has publicly acknowledged receiving a dismissal notice from the ANC and expressed his plans to briefly retreat for personal time before fervently campaigning for the MK party.

“Yes, the letter is correct. I will go fishing for two days and thereafter hit the campaign trail for MK,”

Dirks confirmed.

Previously serving as an ANC representative in the national parliament, Dirks shifted to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. His relationship with the ANC began to strain in 2022 following a dispute that erupted after Dirks called on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa over allegations of misusing public funds for campaign activities. These allegations were sparked by a video clip showing Ramaphosa discussing the utilization of public finances in internal party campaigns during an ANC national executive committee meeting.

Despite Dirks’ efforts, the inquiry into the allegations did not materialize, as Ramaphosa clarified to Scopa that the issues raised were already known to the public. The fallout led to Dirks’ suspension from the ANC caucus in the national legislature, prompting his resignation and subsequent reappearance in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial assembly.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal officially severed ties with Dirks after it was revealed he had aligned himself with the MK party. According to Bheki Mtolo, the provincial secretary, this decision was made following Dirks’ admission of his new political allegiance.

In response to his expulsion, Dirks has firmly stated his intentions to focus solely on the MK party.

“My only mission now is to mobilise votes for MK. I will not speak about any other political party,”

he declared.

The investigation into ANC members defecting to the MK party by the provincial body was acknowledged by Mtolo, who mentioned that the scrutiny had been ongoing for several weeks.

Additionally, Jacob Zuma faced suspension from the ANC earlier this year due to his connections with the MK party. The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in KwaZulu-Natal also expelled Zuma for his absence from meetings since being elected as its provincial chairperson. Despite these political upheavals, Sanco, an ally of the ANC, has voiced its support for the ruling party in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of an ANC victory in May.