ANC ructions play out as Zuma gets cold shoulder
President Jacob Zuma pointedly not being asked to give a speech at the funeral of struggle icon Ahmed Kathrada has underlined the political ructions playing out within the ANC.
Kathrada’s funeral is the second at which Zuma has been snubbed. The late Makhenkesi Stofile, a former sports minister and South African ambassador to Germany, instructed his family on his deathbed not to invite Zuma to his funeral.
Former foreign affairs director-general Sipho Pityana delivered a moving eulogy at Stofile’s funeral and also used the occasion to tear into Zuma.
The state’s delegation to Kathrada’s funeral on Wednesday will be led by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Kathrada had run-ins with the president and, in a letter published in April 2016, bluntly called on him to step down.
“I have always maintained a position of not speaking out publicly about any differences I may harbour against my leaders and my organisation, the ANC,” he wrote. “I would only have done so when I thought that some important organisational matters compel me to raise my concerns. Today I have decided to break with that tradition. Today I appeal to our President to submit to the will of the people and resign.”
He recently returned to the political spotlight when he expressed support for the #FeesMustFall campaign and joined a number of ANC stalwarts in expressing their disaffection with SA and the ANC under Zuma.
Kathrada’s partner, Barbara Hogan, was fired as public enterprises minister in late 2010, allegedly after a tiff with the Guptas over the South African Airways route to India, among other issues.
She said Zuma made it difficult for her to do her job, including preventing her appointment of a director-
general within her department.
On Tuesday, the Kathrada family moved to quash rumours that Zuma had been asked not to attend or speak at the funeral. However, they did confirm that Ramaphosa would be the main speaker at the service.
Kathrada’s death in the early hours of Tuesday garnered a wave of tributes for the struggle icon. It also threw into relief the fractious nature of SA’s political climate and Kathrada’s own disquiet over the state of affairs under Zuma.
On Tuesday, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation director Neeshan Balton said former deputy president and foundation board member Kgalema Motlanthe would lead a tribute to Kathrada at the service.
He also said anyone could attend the funeral.
Meanwhile, Presidency spokesman Bongani Majola said rumours that a request for Zuma to speak at the funeral had been denied were “a total fabrication”.
On Tuesday, Zuma declared that a special official funeral would be held for Kathrada. Unlike a state funeral, which is reserved for former or current presidents, the special funeral does not include a period of lying in state.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation chairman Derek Hanekom said he was unaware that Zuma had either requested or been denied the opportunity to speak.
“All the main speakers tomorrow [Wednesday] are board members,” he said.
In a private ceremony according to Islamic custom, family members will ritually bathe and shroud Kathrada, followed by prayers. After brief tributes on Wednesday, he will then be buried.
Details of any official memorial service are yet to be finalised and must be agreed to by family members.
Balton said Kathrada had requested a ceremony devoid of “pomp and ceremony”.