Former President Jacob Zuma's new party is funded by Russia, claims opposition leader John Steenhuisen after South Africa's election.
Zuma's party Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which surprisingly did well in the election on May 31, was founded in December. According to the opposition, the party was "extremely well-funded" just a few weeks after its inception.
MK's spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela denies the allegations, but says that Zuma and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had a relationship for 40 years.
According to the Financial Times, 82-year-old Zuma's party has not declared any donations to the country's electoral commission, unlike other major parties.
MK came in third in the election with 14.6% of the votes, which has been dubbed a "Zuma tsunami" in South African media. The ruling ANC lost its 30-year parliamentary majority and must now seek coalition partners.
Jacob Zuma was South Africa's president between 2009 and 2018, when he was forced to leave office after allegations of corruption, among other things.
