The uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) Party on Tuesday urged the Democratic Alliance (DA) to unconditionally retract and withdraw “unfounded, defaming and derogatory” statements or risk facing legal response from the party and its members across the country.

This after the DA wrote a letter addressed to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which it asked for help from the international community to ensure the integrity of the upcoming elections.

DA Shadow Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Emma Louise Powell noted in the letter that the recent establishment of the MK Party, associated with former President Jacob Zuma, is set to gain significant support in KwaZulu-Natal, which she said may have “concomitant implications” at the national level.

She said her party is of the view that MK poses a “substantive risk” to the continued peaceful nature of South Africa’s political discourse.

The MK Party said the statements by the DA were undermining and insulting.

The MK Party said the DA could use legally recognised routes and approach legally recognised institutions if they have serious concerns about the state of the country.

The MK Party added that the DA chose to ignore the legally available institutions and in so doing undermined the very existence of the country’s three arms of the law – legislature, judiciary and the executive.

The MK Party said the DA had treated South Africa "as a banana republic" and pays its allegiance to foreign countries, including the US, to which the two letters were addressed.