Zuma’s ignorance, Ace’s arrogance have become a liability for the ANC
South Africans feel vindicated in their view that former president Jacob Zuma is too backward to connect with constitutional realism.
His latest remarks at the Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha that constitutional democracy subverts parliamentary democracy was very unfortunate.
The former president holds a view that parliamentary institutions are supreme to the rule of law guarded by the constitution, which shows ignorance on his part.
The ANC continues to suffer embarrassment each time Zuma gets an opportunity to talk because he prefers to play the politics of a victim.
It’s unfair for him to use every platform he gets to undermine the ANC, a party that has made him. Zuma is parading himself as the custodian of radical economic transformation at the expense of Cyril Ramaphosa and defining himself to be above the ANC.
Zuma presided over government for nine years but never implemented anything radical except for opening up state coffers to looting through patronage networks.
It’s unfair for Zuma to advocate for the nationalisation of banks as if during his tenure the government was leaning towards such a direction.
Zuma and his allies have used his court appearances on corruption charges to insult the ANC and judiciary, insinuating that his cases are political.
As if that’s not enough, he is now attacking the Zondo commission on state capture as unnecessary, yet he commissioned it to investigate state capture during his tenure.
The ANC shouldn’t be surprised about his involvement in an alleged plot to topple the sitting president, as reported recently. Whether that is true or not, Zuma and his cohorts should accept responsibility that they have
undermined the line of operation if the NEC (national executive committee) was not informed about their secret meeting. It’s not convincing that the alleged plotters just met by coincidence.
The ANC has to admit that Zuma is still a factor in the faction that is undermining the party. Doesn’t the ANC find it awkward that its secretary-general, Ace Magashule, continues to call the former president as “the president”?
It is obvious that the aborted mission by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s supporters to keep the Zuma dynasty at the helm of the ANC has shattered many plans, including keeping those involved in state capture off the hook.
It’s either the ANC deals with its secretary-general for undermining the leadership or live with embarrassment.
Magashule is on record saying the true leadership of the party will emerge five years post Nasrec.
The ANC can’t afford to have its chief of administration use party platforms to undermine all who elected the current leadership. Phaswana Rofhiwa, Thohoyandou