Durban - A week after stunning everyone by getting elected ahead of two established slates, the new leadership of the ANC’s Musa Dladla (King Cetshwayo district) region on Sunday visited former President Jacob Zuma and assured him of its unwavering support as he battles his litany of legal challenges.
The regional leadership, chaired by Musa Cebekhulu, also said it would lobby the province to persuade the NEC to rescind its decision which bars ANC members from showing support for the embattled leader.
The meeting took place at the rural home of Zuma in Nkandla in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It included the entire top five of the region, including Nathi Xulu, the regional secretary who is said to be close to the former head of state.
Xulu has previously ignored questions from the Daily News about his proximity to Zuma and the allegations that Zuma had an input on the slate that won the region which encompasses Nkandla.
In a statement after the meeting, the top five said the meeting was cordial and embracive of the spirit and ethos of the ANC.
“The ANC Musa Dladla regional conference mandated the newly elected Regional Executive Committee (REC), as a matter of urgency, to engage other regions and the ANC provincial structure in persuading them to re-affirm the long-standing support for Comrade President Jacob Zuma in his legal matters.
“The conference further asked the ANC REC to engage the National Executive Committee of the ANC to review its decision to discourage ANC members on rallying behind Comrade President Zuma. As the ANC in Musa Dladla Region, we are of the view that Comrade President Zuma is unfairly treated and is being undermined and belittled,” the region said in a statement.
The regional leadership also said Zuma was being humiliated without following any due processes.
JUST IN: The new leadership of Musa Dladla region today visited Nkandla to meet with former Pres Jacob Zuma. They assured him of their support as he battles a litany of legal issues. They also want the NEC to rescind its decision against ANC members supporting him. @DailyNewsSA
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) May 22, 2022
“His stature as a former President of the ANC and the Republic of South Africa is being purposefully undermined by those who are hell-bent on seeing him embarrassed without even following due legal processes. We will be asking the ANC NEC to ensure that the support for Comrade President Zuma is revived, maintained and respected by all and sundry within the African National Congress.
“For his battles with the law are nothing but an attack to the very ANC we are. We believe that Comrade President Zuma is one of our stalwarts who are committed to the course of our National Democratic Revolution unreservedly. He lost his youth and adult life for a just, united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa – that currently needs radical socio-economic transformation for a better life for all our people.”
This ANC region is not the first one in the Zululand region to voice its support for Zuma as he battles with the judiciary over his corruption trial and jailing for contempt of the Constitutional Court.
Shortly after his re-election as the chairperson of the Mzala Nxumalo regional chairperson, Sbu Mhlongo told the Daily News that their conference delegates believe that the electoral loss they suffered in November last year’s local government elections was a result of the perceived hostile way former president Jacob Zuma was being treated.
As a result, he said they wished that all the judiciary processes were quickly resolved, adding that they supported the former president as an elder of the governing party. “Basically, we support Zuma.”
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
Daily News