Zuma: not all his fault

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma turns 75 today. Despite the many criticisms that can be levelled against him, his rise to the presidency is remarkable, given his background. He was born in Nkandla, an area much more rural than it is today. His policeman father died when he was only four. His mother was a domestic worker in Cato Manor.

Zuma did not go to school but became a cattle herder. Later he taught himself to read by poring over the books of children who did go to school. He paid a woman who had some schooling to teach him the basics.

It is a remarkable story, and Zuma may have as many admirers as detractors.

Today some of the detractors will take part in a National Day of Action against him by marching to the Union Buildings in Tshwane.

It has been labelled as an historic opportunity for different political parties to explore a future of closer co-operation. They include the African People’s Convention(APC), the IFP, the UDM, Cope, the EFF, DA and the ACDP.

However, most of those parties have their roots in the ANC.

The APC is an offshoot of the PAC, formed when disgruntled ANC members led by Robert Sobukwe decided to go it alone in 1959. IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi was once a member of the ANC Youth League. He formed the IFP in 1975. After 1994, national executive committee member Bantu Holomisa left the ANC to form the UDM.

The start of Cope is directly linked to divisions within the ANC, going back to the ANC’s 52nd national conference in Polokwane in December 2007.

At that conference, Thabo Mbeki lost the presidency of the ANC to Zuma, resulting in some of Mbeki’s closest allies forming Cope, including the current leader, Mosiuoa Lekota.

Most recently, divisions in the ANC resulted in the formation of the EFF. Julius Malema, their commanderin-chief, was once the president of the ANC Youth League.

He was expelled from the party in April 2014 and just over a year later, with other disgruntled ANC members, formed the EFF.

Clearly, divisions within the ANC are nothing new and they are certainly not something that cropped up for the first time under Zuma.