The Eastern Cape ANC has fired a broadside at Jacob Zuma’s newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe party, saying the former president and his alleged “corrupt tendencies” had long been rejected by the province’s people.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s two-day lekgotla at the Boardwalk ICC on Sunday, ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi poured cold water on any ambitions of the Zuma-backed party in attempting to make significant inroads in the Bhisho legislature in the upcoming general election.
“People of the Eastern Cape are very politically conscious and know criminals by name,” he said.
“That’s why in the past conferences when we said ‘Zuma must go, Zuma must be sacked from the African National Congress’, there was huge support from the Eastern Cape.
“In 2017, we said we want a new president in the form of Cyril Ramaphosa. The population of the Eastern Cape fully supported that matter.
“So Zuma and his machinations, his [alleged] corrupt tendencies, his tribalistic attitude, his attitude against women have long been rejected by the people of the Eastern Cape.
“That’s why they supported us when we said the ANC must suspend Zuma as early as 2020 and 2021 when his [defiance] around the constitutionalism of our country and supremacy of the rule of law were being undermined by a person that took an oath of office,” Ngcukayitobi said.
During a February 2021 provincial lekgotla, the ANC in the province resolved that the party’s national bosses should institute disciplinary action against Zuma for defying the Zondo Commission of inquiry into state capture and called for his suspension.
This was after the former president defied a Constitutional Court order that he should participate in the commission.
Ngcukayitobi said the ANC in the province was not worried about the MK party but stressed that it was the responsibility of the ruling party to interact directly with communities to enhance its capacity to respond to problems and serve the people.
During the 2019 general election, the ANC in the province won 69.26% of the vote, compared with 70.75% in 2014.
By contrast, during the 2021 local government elections, the ANC got just 39.43% of the vote in the Bay metro, down from the 40.92% in 2016.
The MK party, launched in December, gained prominence when Zuma announced he was backing it and would not be voting for the ANC.
Since then, he has actively campaigned against the ANC.
In January, the ANC summarily suspended Zuma’s membership from the party and opted to institute disciplinary action against him for contravening its constitution.
According to the ruling party’s constitution, any member who joins or supports any organisation or party other than the ANC or its alliance partners Cosatu, the SACP and Sanco, or any other organisation whose aims, policies and objectives are contrary to the ANC can be suspended.
On Saturday, while delivering his overview, ANC provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane led the charge against Zuma, urging people who were sympathetic to his cause to “leave sideshows”.
“There are people who want to run this country for chaos and anarchy ...
“Some want to see the ANC unable to receive a majority, yet taxpayers are paying their salaries every month,” Mabuyane said.
During the commissions, and sessions held behind closed doors, the lekgotla also discussed ways of improving health and education and responses to the emergence of natural disasters, including severe flooding that had washed away road networks in rural parts of the province.
HeraldLIVE
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