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Members will come and go but the ANC will remain. Based on this line of reasoning, former president Jacob Zuma cautioned those who came out in his support as he again appeared before the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg not to desist from voting for the ANC based on the grounds of factionalism.
“It is the policies of the party and not the individuals that South Africans should base their votes on. Individuals will come and go but the ANC will remain. It is the only party whose policies still prioritise the majority of black South Africans who still find themselves in disadvantaged positions,” said Zuma.
The former president also added that, regardless of the court case and the manner in which he had vacated his position as president, he was still a “dedicated member of the ANC”.
“I joined the ANC, the ANC did not join me … so I do not understand the reasoning in those whose who say they would not vote [for the] ANC because they don’t like Zuma,” said the former president, who added that he had committed his life to the organisation.
Also in attendance to show support for their former president were KwaZulu-Natal legislature deputy speaker Meshack Radebe and ANC provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, who concurred with Zuma’s sentiments, saying they only supported Zuma in his court battle because he was still a “disciplined member of the ANC”.
“The party is above individual members. As long as members still carry themselves in a manner that upholds the party’s values we will continue to support them.”
Zuma was addressing his supporters, who had congregated in large numbers outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Friday following the postponement of his criminal trial to May 20 2019.
Zuma will be in the dock facing 16 charges of fraud, money laundering, corruption and racketeering linked to 783 payments that French company Thales allegedly made to him in connection with the infamous arms deal.
Three days have been set aside for this hearing.
The postponement came after Zuma’s legal team applied for a permanent stay from prosecution.
The judge then granted the prosecution time to prepare its arguments on why this trial should continue
Addressing his supporters, Zuma said that due to the amount of years that have passed since the alleged crime took place and the fact that the investigators had “illegally obtained evidence in pursuit of this matter”, the case should be quashed and never reopened.
Zuma added that “two judges have already thrown this case out of court” and found that he “had not done any wrong.”
He added that he had been arrested before while fighting apartheid injustice and at the time could comfort himself with the knowledge that “these were criminals unfairly incarcerating me. This cannot be repeated in a democratic South Africa,” said Zuma to loud cheers from his supporters.
Among those present to show the former president support were former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, former Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, former SA Airways chair Dudu Myeni, Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama and Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association’s Carl Niehaus.
Niehaus and Ntuli said they were monitoring those testifying before the commission and were thus far “not convinced that there has been any damming evidence against Zuma”.
“They [Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor] have been lying to the commission and will eventually be exposed in their lies,” said Niehaus.
The common sentiment from Zuma and those who came to support him was that South Africans should disregard the factionalism plaguing the ruling party and rally behind it come the 2019 elections.
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