Durban - When former president Jacob Zuma handed himself over to correctional service authorities on July 7, his senior wife, Sizakele MaKhumalo Zuma, is said to have pleaded that he should be brought back home alive.
The revelation was made on Thursday in Nkandla by Bishop Vusi Dube, of eThekwini community church, while addressing a prayer service that was organised to pray for the ailing Zuma to get well and be freed from prison.
Zuma is currently serving a 15-month sentence at the Estcourt Correction Centre in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
In the midst of the sentence, he has fallen ill and was taken to Gauteng to undergo medical care under the wing of the military health services.
Dube lamented that while Zuma submitted as sick note to the Pietermaritzburg High Court, it was questioned by the state. He said that was inhumane.
Dube then shared what they discussed with MaKhumalo whom they privately visited inside the Nkandla homestead before proceeding with their prayer, which was held on the open field outside the home.
He said he was pained that MaKhumalo had to wish Zuma to come back home alive.
“MaKhumalo told us that when Zuma left, being taken away by those who were taking him, she said fine, but please bring him back alive. What a pain, what a pain of a mother who have never experienced being a mother.
“She has never experienced being a wife to Msholozi (Zuma) because Msholozi has been fighting for this country but today our members of the African National Congress can stand in platforms and be excited that man who is 79 years old, up to 80, is being incarcerated,” Dube said.
At the same prayer, a senior half-brother of Zuma for the first time publicly described the pain they endured as a family when the ex head of State eventually surrendered to start serving his jail term.
Joseph Zuma, who shares a father with Zuma, said on the night he surrendered they were sitting on the family's yard in Nkandla and as family members were adamant that he should not surrender.
After hours of being locked in meetings with some officials, Zuma allegedly told family members that he would come back the following day and left.
Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the Zuma family, the former president’s brother repeatedly said: “I am hurt by what happened to my brother.”
Despite his decision to surrender, Joseph said it was a brave one as there was a possibility of bloodshed on that night.
He was referring to the fact that some supporters of Zuma had cordoned the gate and a heavily armed squad of police was approaching the home to effect the arrest and possibly put themselves against the supporters.
“People were armed and ready for anything,” he said.
For all the woes of Zuma right now, the brother blamed deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo who is chairing the state capture commission for refusing to recuse himself when asked to do so.
“He is right in jail because of one person, he wanted him to recuse himself but he refused, he is there (in jail) because of that person, we would be with him here at home talking about other businesses.”
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
Political Bureau