The president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), Joseph Mathunjwa has lambasted former president Jacob Zuma, saying he should have done the things he is now promising the people while he was in power for nine years between 2009 and 2018.

Mathunjwa said this on Friday while campaigning for the AMCU funded Labour Party in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, ahead of Wednesday’s by-elections.

“He (Zuma) reduced this country into a squalor, to be a dustbin. Then you turn around and say you can change things, why didn’t you change while you were there,” he said.

Mathunjwa also claimed most of the people who are now part of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party, led by Zuma, were in the ANC when the Marikana massacre of 16 August 2012 occurred. At least 34 miners were killed by police and scores of others injured for demanding a R12 500 living wage at the Lonmin-owned (now Sibanye Stillwater) mine in Rustenburg, North West.

“This is the same government of the ANC that killed our fathers in Marikana, some of them moved to the MK today, but they were the president by then when Cyril (ordered concomitant action against the striking miners.

“Have you ever heard the MK leadership criticising Ramaphosa for Marikana? No matter how much they quarrel, but they don’t touch that issue. They can insult each other and say this is the ANC off Ramaphosa, but they will not say its the ANC of Ramaphosa who killed the workers Marikana, no, they don’t go there. You must aks yourself why,” Mathunjwa said.

The union boss previously praised Zuma and the MK Party. He was even photographed with Zuma and the leadership of the party ahead of the May 29 elections in which the MK dented the ANC’s support to below 50%.

The spokesperson of the MK Party, Nhlamulo Ndhela, did not respond when asked about Mathunjwa’s comments.