Zelna Saira Abader is an MK parliamentarian. [Picture: RSA Parliament]
There is no such thing as zulu traditionalism and tribalism in Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP). That is the view of one of two female Muslim parliamentarians in the party’s caucus.
Zelna Saira Abader, who hails from Gauteng, discussed her role in politics in an interview commemorating Womens’ Month with Julie Allie on Thursday. She said one of the challenges was countering the “stereotypes” of traditionalist, tribalist and patriarchal norms in the party.
“Coming from a community where political involvement for Muslim women is not the norm, I felt a profound responsibility to challenge these boundaries and advocate for inclusive representation,” she said.
Asked what she was doing in a party largely perceived as one built on Zulu tribalism, she countered that there was no such thing. In fact, she argued, there were plenty of instances when her religious background was catered for.
As an example, she pointed to a recent party meeting in Bela Bela where the man in charge of Zuma’s security was offered a platform.
“He read Surah Fatihah, he gave a bit of a lecture and then he closed off with Surah Al-Nasr. Again, where’s the Zulu traditionalist there?” she asked.
Zuma’s party exceeded predictions when it garnered a near-majority of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 elections, obtaining 45%. This was its strongest province, but other areas with a non-trivial Zulu population – like Mpumalanga and Gauteng – also saw the party enjoy strong support.
“There’s been a lot of things around president Jacob Zuma and all the things, but you gotta look deeply into everything. You can’t just take everything for face value and just accept what’s being said to you,” Abader said, adding, “We all have a brain, I always say, and we need to use it and think.”
“With president Zuma’s support, the MK party has been making strides in promoting gender equality and you can see that by the number of females that’s in the party, ensuring that womens’ voices are heard and respected. I promise you, we are respected.”
