The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has come out strongly against former president Jacob Zuma for spending R246 million on his Nkandla home instead of building over 2,000 houses for former MK veterans.
The claims were made by provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo at a South African Democratic Teachers Union meeting in Durban on Monday.
Mtolo said that it was disappointing that the former MK combatants allowed themselves to be misled by Zuma, whose interest is to use the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party to empower himself and his daughter Duduzile.
"Why would some ex-MK combatants follow a man who was president for a full nine years but left them destitute? It is because they believe his lies.
"If we are to be crude, why would they follow a man who used R246 million of taxpayers' money to build his home?" asked Mtolo.
He said that amount of money would have built 2,733 houses for ex-MK combatants.
"His lies have not been confronted," said Mtolo.
Mtolo told teachers that Umkhonto Wesizwe will always be associated with the ANC.
In his lengthy speech, he said Zuma is now no different from the leader of the DA. He said that Zuma and John Steenhuisen are similar.
Zuma's spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi of the JG Zuma Foundation could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered.
Zuma has recently told his supporters that the ANC is led by criminals who hide money under mattresses.
Zuma also accused ANC leaders of neglecting ex-MK members who are still suffering without houses while government leaders are living a luxurious life.
