Publications
Partners
For a man riding a titanic political storm, with unprecedented calls to resign, President Jacob Zuma seems unmoved and ready to fight back.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape pulled out all the stops to avoid a repeat of what happened at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Vista campus on December 16, when the president addressed a small crowd and some empty chairs during his live televised address on the Day of Reconciliation in Port Elizabeth.
On Friday, people, some in wheelchairs, were bussed in from surrounding townships to attend the president’s address about Operation Phakisa, the oceans economy initiative.
Zuma gave a progress report on the fast-results delivery programme at the city’s port.
The day’s events, which were scheduled to start at 10am, managed to get going only a few minutes before 1pm as buses were still ferrying people wearing yellow ANC T-shirts to the venue.
The crowd then marched into the large marquee on the grounds of the port.
Zuma arrived at 12.30pm to thunderous applause from the ANC supporters who had filled the marquee and two overflow tents.
As he made his way into the large marquee, his supporters burst into a choreographed chant: “Zuma! Zuma! Zuma!”
It was clear that Zuma enjoyed the support of the people in attendance, despite being unpopular with a lot of South Africans due to the Nkandla debacle and the Constitutional Court’s finding against him and Parliament.
Zuma waved and smiled and briefly showed a glimpse of his dancing moves as the crowd broke into song – Ngulo Zuma lo abamaziyo, abazange bambone, which is a popular pro-Zuma slogan among party followers.
Despite the fact that water bottles were placed on the VIP table at the main stage for the dignitaries, one woman in the crowd demonstrated her support for Zuma by walking to the stage and placing another two bottles of water in front of him.
Flanked by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, Zuma cracked jokes and chatted to them, clearly at ease.
At other times, he looked pensively into the crowd, took off his glasses and wiped his face. The only hint that this was a president under fire was perhaps evidenced in his constant rubbing of his hands as he sat.
After sharing a brief history about the project, Brown called Zuma to the podium to deliver his address. The crowd erupted into rapturous cheers and applause.
Throughout his 35-minute speech, Zuma stuck to his script, making only a few off-the-cuff remarks in relation to the importance of the National Development Plan and how Operation Phakisa was a fundamental tool to achieve the plan’s goals.
He also announced a further R7 billion cash injection by Transnet’s National Ports Authority to improve the country’s ports.
After finishing his speech, Zuma joined the Transnet choir, where he mesmerised the audience with his trademark song, Umshini Wami.
Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle declared the province to be the Zuma’s second home.
The province is the second largest in terms of ANC membership numbers after Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mlibo Qoboshiyane, provincial ANC spokesperson and MEC for rural development, said the positive turn-out was a curtain-raiser for next week’s ANC manifesto launch at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth ahead of the August 3 local government elections.
