In what he described as an attempt to "rescue" the African National Congress (ANC), corruption-accused former president Jacob Zuma laid claim to the "spear of the nation" - uMkhonto weSizwe.

But the ANC, in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal, will launch "an action plan in defence of the gains of the National Democratic Revolution as led by the ANC".

"We wish to state categorically that recent developments may have created a perception in some quarters that there is a state of paralysis that will liquidate the ANC, its alliance partners and ultimately destroy the Mass Democratic Movement," said ANC KZN chairperson Bheki Mtolo in a statement.

"It is important to say that such a perception has, in the past, been proven wrong."

The provincial executive committee, along with several alliance partners and aligned organisations, will brief the media on Monday.

On Saturday, at a press briefing, which started more than an hour late in Soweto, the 81-year-old Zuma made an announcement about his political future. It involves remaining a member of the ANC.

"I will die a member of the ANC," he said.

However, he will not campaign for the party in the upcoming elections. Instead, he will vote for uMkhonto weSizwe, a recently established party named after the ANC's military wing during apartheid, which was established on 16 December 1961, and disbanded in 1994.  

Zuma, through his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, said: "It is not enough to withdraw from the ANC campaign, which will lead our people to more misery, poverty, racism, unemployment, deepening load shedding and a government led by sellouts and apartheid collaborators."

Zuma listed seven gripes he had with the party he once led - all of it emanating from the 2017 elections and what had happened to him and his allies in the aftermath.

"It is also our duty to guide our people on what to do in order to save our revolution from its enemies and to achieve the society envisaged in the Freedom Charter.

"No single organisation can pull us out of the present crisis. We require the same spirit of unity which saw us defeating the monster of apartheid."

Zuma said that choosing "the vehicle of the uMkhonto weSizwe party in pursuing our freedom from the present capture by white monopoly capital and the enemies of our people operating among us", he could only quote the founding statement of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) on 16 December 1961: "The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices: submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We shall not submit and we have no choice but to hit back by all means within our power in defence of our future and our freedom."

He said this statement as true on 16 December 2023 as it was on 16 December 1961.

"The new people's war starts from today. The only crucial difference is that, instead of the bullet, this time we will use the ballot."

According to Zuma, the party was registered with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) with his "knowledge and blessings".

On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, the Economic Freedom Fighters's Mzwanele Manyi, released the new party's certificate of registration with the IEC, dated 12 December 2023, as well as correspondence in September from the IEC to Jabulani Sibongiseni Khumalo, indicating that the registration had been approved.

When it emerged that a party - named uMkhonto weSizwe - was registered in September, the ANC expressed its dismay and mooted a legal challenge.

At the time, Khumalo told News24 in words echoed by Zuma on Saturday: "We have issues with the leadership failures of the ANC, so we decided that we will take our spear as members of MK and take the lead to solve the issues faced by the ANC."

He denied he was eating away at the ANC's voting base by registering a political party designed to "help save the party".

At that time, MK Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) convenor Dan Hato said Khumalo was not a MKMVA member and was unknown to the ANC.

On Sunday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula tweeted that Khumalo wasn't a member of the original MK.

On Saturday, the ANC sought to lay claim to the legacy of MK by issuing a statement to mark the 62nd anniversary of uMkhonto weSizwe.

"As the ANC, we hold the collective members of MK in the highest regard, venerating them as the heroes and heroines of our struggle. While risking life and limb in service to our people, their invaluable contribution was pivotal in securing our democratic breakthrough in 1994," reads the statement.

"Although MK was officially disbanded in 1994, the spirit and moral compass of its veterans continue to inspire and guide us.

"We owe it to our living heroes not to falter in our commitment to the cause. Our resolve for 'decisive action to advance people's interests and renew our movement' must be unwavering."

While Zuma intends to "die in the ANC", he may find this decision is not up to him, now that he has thrown his weight behind MK.

In the ANC's constitution, the party lists under acts of misconduct: "joining or supporting a political organisation or party, other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC" and "acting as the election agent or canvasser of a person standing in such election for any political party and in opposition to a candidate duly endorsed by the national executive committee or provincial executive committees".