Jacob Zuma, history will judge you
Dear Jacob Zuma
I hope you will find time in your busy schedule to read this letter.
This week represents a watershed moment for you, the ANC and country as a whole. This is your last week as president of the ANC. For 10 years you have been the leader of the ANC after defeating Thabo Mbeki in 2007.
You rose to power through a mass mobilisation strategy that ensured that whoever was against you, was silenced and sidelined.
I don’t know how you would characterise your two terms as president of the party, but I know that you served within a collective and that it was not only you making the decisions for the organisation.
However, under your stewardship, the Congress of the People and the Economic Freedom Fighters were formed. Under your leadership the ANC, more than ever before, is seen as lenient on corruption. You outsourced your mandate to a group of individuals sitting somewhere in dark corners.
These un-elected individuals run the state with your blessing. Whether this capture is real or perceived, you as the leader of the ANC has done more to give credence to claims that you are party to a shady structure hellbent on destroying the state .
You inherited a party that had its fair share of challenges but you might well be handing over a party on its deathbed by next week.
How did we get here, Mr President? Those who served with you and under you during your days in exile, speak highly of you and your commitment to the struggle and to the upliftment of our people.
But unfortunately, what I have seen and observed of you is totally different. Factionalism is entrenched. Loyalty to individuals rather than the party has increased and corruption is thriving.
In simple terms, the centre has failed to hold during your tenure.
As I said, all of this might have happened under your watch but it might not be of your own making or with your blessing. However, I doubt that’s the case. You either actively participated in the state capture project or are complicit. Be that as it may, I urge you to support whoever succeeds you as leader of the party. You owe it to the ANC and to the country. History, Mr Zuma, as always, will be the judge.
Kiekie Mboweni. Nkowankowa