Zikalala dismisses anti-Ramaphosa report
ANC KwaZulu-Natal interim committee co-ordinator Sihle Zikalala yesterday dismissed media reports that supporters of former president Jacob Zuma were holding secret talks to discredit President Cyril Ramaphosa and eventually remove him from the helm.
Zikalala dismissed the Sunday Times report as a “propaganda campaign to sow division in the already fractured governing party”.
“Many people would want to launch an offensive against the ANC using propaganda and divisive methods to undermine its cohesion.
“It is important for members of the ANC to close ranks and rise to the occasion, and be able to face the opposition and win support of the masses,” Zikalala said.
“No one will support the ANC when it’s divided, that is why the leadership, led by President Ramaphosa, has been advocating for unity. So these are just rumours, we cannot play into the hands of those spreading rumours.
“I haven’t heard of anyone in KwaZuluNatal proposing to vote for anyone else except consolidating unity and ensure support for ANC come the 2019 general elections,” he said.
The Sunday Times reported that a new political party had been formed by Zuma’s close ally, Caesar Nongqunga, with Zuma’s blessings. Nongqunga is president of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ.
Leaders of the church reportedly held a meeting at uMgababa, where a letter written to the ANC informing it of the decision to launch the new party, the African Transformation Congress, was read out. Several meetings had been held where plans to undermine Ramaphosa were hatched, the newspaper reported.
“The plan includes ensuring that Zuma’s close ally Zikalala is re-elected party chairperson when the province elects new leaders. The Zikalala-led executive would then call for an early ANC general council meeting, which would be converted to an elective conference to remove Ramaphosa,” the report stated.
Ramaphosa would be accused of failing to implement resolutions adopted at the Nasrec conference, including the expropriation of land without compensation.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was reportedly aware of the plan. Should the plan fail, the Zuma backers would encourage an overwhelming ANC vote from the province not to vote for the ANC in the 2019 elections.
Zuma enjoys widespread support in his home province. Hundreds of his supporters in ANC regalia turned up at the Durban High Court on Friday where he appeared for corruption charges. A night vigil in the city was held the previous night.
Zikalala and other Zuma supporters, such as premier Willies Mchunu, Des van Rooyen, and former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng, were there to lend support to the former president. Zuma was released on warning and the case was postponed to June.