As South Africa's November local elections draw near, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party finds itself at a crossroads familiar to movements built around singular figures rather than enduring institutions. Jacob Zuma, the party's animating force, is alleged to have bypassed collective nomination processes entirely, personally selecting candidates for municipal office in a region where political loyalty and personal authority have long been intertwined. The recruitment of Zandile Gumede — a controversial former ANC stalwart facing corruption charges — signals that the MKP is wagering on inherited allegi