ROAD TO 2024 ELECTIONS
Diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg helps boost MK’s Gauteng fortunes
The uMkhonto Wesizwe party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, is making inroads in Gauteng.
On Saturday evening, at the Maslow Times Square in Pretoria, former president Jacob Zuma charmed a gathering lassoed together by the diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg.
Former president Jacob Zuma (second left) and his diamond dealer benefactor Louis Liebenberg (second right) with supporters at The Afrikaner Leaders Forum held at The Maslow Times Square in Pretoria on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Emacous Simphiwe Moyo)
At the upmarket conference centre, a gathering spot of the city’s who’s who, Liebenberg sat listening attentively as Zuma addressed the crowd, promising that white people would be safe if the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party came to power.
“We developed, all of us, from the old days to today. We will always say, let us be together, let us unite. We are not going to kill anyone. Not at all. During the armed struggle there was an agreement, if you arrest you don’t kill. All liberation movement [sic] did not come back with impimpis [informers]. We came back with them. This indicates how we were looking at the future,” he said, according to this News24 report.
Diamond dealer and Zuma benefactor Louis Liebenberg (centre) in the audience during former president Jacob Zuma’s address at The Maslow Times Square in Pretoria on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Emacous Simphiwe Moyo)
Liebenberg is a well-known Zuma benefactor. He gave cows to the former president and co-funded his court case against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. For more on Liebenberg’s colourful past, see Marianne Thamm’s essay here.
The MK party made a weekend of it and the day after the Liebenberg meeting, it held a recruitment drive in Mapleton, where Ekurhuleni displayed its growing support.
Nomakhosazana Mkhize, an MK party member in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni, during a recruitment drive on 16 March 2024. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
A delighted Bongani Phinzi in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni, during the MK party recruitment drive. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
MK party members shake hands at the recruitment drive in Mapletonm Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
Ekurhuleni has 25% of Gauteng’s registered voters, and the province, with 6.5 million voters, will be a key battleground in the 29 May election. The metro is run-down and chaotic, as are Johannesburg and Pretoria.
MK paraphernalia, including T-shirts and golf shirts, were offered for sale and traders did brisk business. MK members sang struggle songs, including the lamentation Wenzeni uZuma (What has Zuma done?).
MK party members dance to struggle songs in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
Richard Hleta uses a loudhailer at the MK party recruitment drive in Mapleton, Ekurhuleni. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)
MK faces two court cases from a spooked ANC, which is challenging its registration by the Electoral Commission and its use of the name uMkhonto Wesizwe.
Umkhonto weSizwe was, of course, the name of the armed wing of the ANC. The new political party also uses the green, black and gold colours of the ANC.
“We want to get into power and change all challenges facing the country,” said Richard Hleta, a party member.
MK interim spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said, “We see ourselves as a solution, not as an alternative. So Abantu [people] are organising themselves because of Msholozi [Zuma]. He has references and he’s got a track record. The people of Ekurhuleni have been ill-treated by this so-called coalition [an ANC-EFF coalition runs the metro].
“Once you win Ekurhuleni, you only need Emfuleni [a smaller council] and then Soweto [and you win Gauteng]. People say enough is enough.”
MK joined the All African Alliance Movement (AAM) at a February gathering in Walkerville, Gauteng. The AAAM is a movement of charismatic churches once associated with former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Zuma’s renegade MK Party labelled a visionless shell, but it cannot be overlooked
MK is fighting the election primarily in KZN and Gauteng, the provinces with the most registered voters. Recent polls have shown that its support is growing fast. DM
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Why is the DIAMOND DEALER supporting a known CRIMINAL unless it has something to do with those 30 pieces of silver.
I can only agree. The question you have to ask is how will a diamond dealer benefit from an association with a bent criminla politician?? Guys like this make investments for a return. So what is the return?
As mentioned Zuma had been in bed with the Soviets gir many years. They deal in tons if diamonds. See mg comments.
Because the alleged diamond dealer is a con artist running a pyramid scheme himself. Liebenberg is a scammer and a criminal. Liebenberg’s pyramid scheme offers its victims shares in alleged diamond transactions that don’t actually exist.
Actually, it’s a known criminal helping another known criminal! Thats all!
Vincent this country is fast becoming a gangster paradise, DA has all the potential to save this but they need to get their priorities right and pay more attention to the people who count most and their numbers will beat any vote, which does not seem to be soon.
Obviously a mate of convicted diamond dealer, Hilary Crane who supported Winnie Mandelas political ambitions….and look what happened to her! Beware the company you keep Mr Liebenberg – you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas!
Apologies…that should read, Hazel Crane not Hillary Crane!
1. Hazel Crane was taken out by an Israeli Assassin on her way to testify against her husbands murderers
2. The husband Shai Avissar was a diamond dealer who was also taken out by an Israeli assassin
Not sure what her murder has to do with the ANC
If you cant see it theres no point in explaining! Bad company finds bad company is the gist of it!
You lie down with MK, you may wake up with lead poisoning (like Hazel RIP)
It’s more a case of birds of a feather
WMC not so bad afterall Zuma?
Liebenberg should enrol the services of Carl Niehaus. They are so similar in make-up and character they could be brothers. There is potentially a great deal of money to be sucked from the KZ fiscus and should the MK party rule there, Liebenberg will first at the trough. MK members will be left sitting and blinking in the sun at Nkhandla wondering what the hell happened?
We all know what Zuma wants. If MK gets sufficient votes to be king-maker, he will make his party available for a coalition with the ANC depending on the following demands:
1. A presidential pardon
2. The sidelining of Ramaphosa in the ANC
3. Access to the most loot-able portfolios in the provincial legislatures of KZN and Gauteng.
The poor dupes who support the man and his party need to know this. Perhaps they know it already and they are hoping some of the crumbs will fall their way.
Print it in bold black, white and Red. Cyril Ramaphosa IS GOING to be ARRESTED and Duduzane Zuma IS GOING to be PRESIDENT. This shall be a Sign of the times a decree by the Word of the Spirit!
Don’t know about that….but I do know that these MK wannabes are all very well fed! LOL!
Yeh … just look at Kulebuse …and the pot belly on JZ !
I’ll have whatever you are drinking, smoking, injecting, dropping…LOL
Are those government tenders calling?
No man. Profit of doom. Doom for SA.
“All liberation movement [sic] did not come back with impimpis [informers]. We came back with them. This indicates how we were looking at the future.”
Looking at the future, my muscular butt! This is a straight-up admission that the ANC is shot through with apartheid collaborators. I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise …
Squealing on your comrades replaced by stealing from your people – sounds about right
Previous comment was incomplete. I hope it did not reach the public eye. Let’s pray to God Almighty to deliver us from evil dishonest leaders. Rise up a new Nelson Mandela. He (God) promised that He will rise up governments and put others down.
🙏🏻
Any diamond dealer supporting Zuma needs investigating by the Hawks.
What is this ‘hawks’ of which you speak?
The ones without claws or a beak ! Maybe plucked of their feathers also !
Hawks are not allowed out of their cage the attack any prey currently or previously associated with the ANC
“At the upmarket conference centre, a gathering spot of the city’s who’s who…” That picture is proof that money don’t buy you class….or is there a 1990’s fashion revival in Pretoria?
What a joke!
Why would a wealthy white Afrikaner bankroll a known criminal, thief and odious character, who has done so much damage and devastation to the country and who hates whites in general, if not for some nefarious reason? It simply does not make sense any other way. There has got to be a big prize or pot of gold waiting in the wings should this walking-disaster-Zuma, God forbid, ever come to power.
It’s not that he hates whites in general”, he just loves money.
And you would find that his actions do more harm to black people than the white people.
💯
The bottom line.
Zuma has been in bed with the Soviets for many years.
The soviets are one of the world’s main players when UT homes to diamonds. Soni think it is a case of you scratch my back and will scratch yours. Or is it a case of the monkey and the organ grinder comrade !
Clowns in a circus
We’re going to vote mk BCS we want changed in South Africa
If you are successful the change you get may not be all that pleasant
Liebenberg is not a criminal diamond dealer. Simply because there are no diamonds to deal in. His ponzi is built on digital packets of diamonds. I think the article needs to be corrected and Liebenberg simply referred to as “well-known criminal”.
Birds of a feather!
No surprise there. Rock up to the Ncuntlasnake with enough cash & it will be more than happy to pimp its own daughter…
Look, I agree with you but maybe we shouldn’t be using 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 word in our collective invectives.
I thought Zuma had only black interests as he says, what was he doing at an Afrikaana gig is he now part of WMC as he calls it
Hate Zuma at your own peril, Old man is here to shake South African politics for so long as he breathe, loathing someone because we do not like his political stance only proves our short-sightedness to the constitutional democracy.