MK Party accused of 'pinkwashing' with pride flag merch while Zuma spews homophobic rhetoric

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has sparked the ire of the LGBTQIA+ community after posting promotional content on social media of merchandise emblazoned with the MK Party logo and a pride flag when its leader, former president Jacob Zuma, recently called same-sex rights "repressive" and "anti-democratic".

LGBTQIA+ influencer Sabelo Ntombeningi Sithole, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, is at the centre of a social media maelstrom after posing in MK Party regalia.

In January, gender rights groups warned politicians against exploiting the rights of minority groups for "cheap political gain" after Zuma reportedly told an MK Party gathering in Pietermaritzburg that he had been approached by a traditional leader who raised concerns about South Africa's same-sex laws.