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Side by side, President Jacob Zuma and Marius Fransman on Thursday took to the campaign trail in the ANC’s election focus points in Philippi, Khayelitsha and Delft.
This was after Fransman was earlier this year asked to leave his position as Western Cape ANC chairperson, after allegations emerged that he sexually assaulted Louisa Wynand while they stayed in the Flamingo Hotel in Kimberley on January, 6.
Currently, there is confusion as to what Fransman’s official position is. Nomvula Mokonyane, a member of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) who accompanied Zuma and Fransman on the campaign trail, told the media: “He is here, he is working. He is back as leader of the party. Nothing has changed.”
But Faiez Jacobs, Western Cape provincial ANC secretary, said later that the provincial leadership of the party has received no formal news of Fransman’s reappointment as provincial leader.
Jacobs referred all inquiries to national ANC structures.
Zizi Kodwa, the ANC’s spokesperson, said that Fransman was not back in his post.
“His case has been referred to that national disciplinary committee and he hasn’t appeared before the committee yet. Until then he can’t return to his position.”
Kodwa could not say when Fransman would appear before the committee.
Zuma himself is having somewhat of an annus horribilis. Various roleplayers called for his resignation following the Constitutional Court’s ruling that Zuma failed to uphold the Constitution in his handling of the Nkandla matter and after further allegations that the Gupta brothers, his friends, were exercising influence over cabinet appointments.
At about 11:30 a string of luxury black vehicles swung into the parking lot of the Philippi Plaza shopping centre, blue lights flashing. The programme said Zuma would make his appearance at 10:00.
Zuma, accompanied by local ANC leaders including Fransman and Xolani Sotashe, the ANC’s mayoral candidate for Cape Town, entered the ANC’s office in the shopping centre for a closed meeting, while two police officers in camouflage and carrying assault rifles guarded the door.
ANC supporters in Philippi have recently expressed unhappiness with the ANC’s chosen ward councillor candidate for the area and some have been threatening to abstain or vote DA.
Mzuzile Mpondwana withdrew as the ANC’s candidate after two attempts on his life were apparently made.
In April this year, an ANC ward councillor’s office in Philippi was also set on fire.
Members of the ANC-aligned Ses’khona movement, which has a lot of support in Khayelitsha, recently joined the DA, including the self-confessed sewage protester Loyiso Nkohla.
“Phantsi, Loyiso! Phantsi!”, said Andile Lili, Ses’khona leader, of his erstwhile right-hand man, even before Zuma’s arrival at the gathering, where about 3000 people were waiting for him.
Zuma and Fransman were cheered as they took to the stage, with Zuma subsequently addressing the crowd.
Zuma concluded his speech with the songs ‘Freedom Day’ and ‘Umshini Wam’, much to the crowd’s amusement. The crowd was especially enthusiastic when Zuma moved his right hand as if he had an imaginary spear in it.
Patricia de Lille, the Mayor of Cape Town, said in a statement in reaction to Zuma’s visit that he only brings racial division to the Western Cape.
On Friday morning, she lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission after Zuma reportedly said: “In China, the Chinese rule, in India, the Indians are in power; it is only here in SA that we allow other people to govern.”
“Cape Town is not governed by an ‘other’. It is governed by proud South Africans from South Africa’s only true multiracial party,” said De Lille. – Additional reporting by Alicestine October.
