The MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, joined the Progressive Caucus on 17 June after securing 14.6% of the vote and 58 seats in the National Assembly in the 2024 elections.
[4] Despite initially boycotting the first sitting of the National Assembly over allegations of vote-rigging—which the court dismissed as without merit—MK decided to align with the Progressive Caucus to strengthen the opposition against the GNU.
[5][6] However, the inclusion of the MK does not gain the Progressive Caucus enough seats in the National Assembly to block any law or constitutional amendment due to the GNU's supermajority.
[7] The Progressive Caucus is not as unified on social policies with some members advocating right-wing positions such as the reintroduction of the death penalty[9][10] and the repeal of same-sex marriage laws.
For example a legal commentator, writing under a pseudonym, implied that the parties considering themselves part of the caucus are not progressive in nature and wrote that it is "a coalition of populists, ethno-nationalists and other opportunistic rent-seekers".