Zuma roasted for lack of leadership
Politicians ridicule president, saying there’s nothing to celebrate
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma came under fire in Port Elizabeth yesterday when politicians at two Freedom Day events lambasted him for his lack of leadership. In Kwazakhele, former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Zanoxolo Wayile – now the national ideological officer for the soon-to-be-launched United Front – delivered a scathing attack on Zuma, saying there was nothing to celebrate when corrupt leaders could still walk free.
In Motherwell, DA Eastern Cape leader Athol Trollip said while he respected the office of the president, he did not respect the president.
Wayile addressed about 150 people at the Lillian Ngoyi Hall, while Trollip addressed about 200 DA supporters at Freedom Park.
Both men also took the opportunity to campaign for next year’s local government elections.
Citing the Western Cape as an example of how the power lay in the hands of the people, Wayile said: “They [the ANC] were saying they would govern until Jesus came back, but Zille took the Western Cape ... we don’t know whether Jesus has come back or not.
“That is the danger of political complacency and arrogance.
“Now Zille is going to retire,” he said to laughter.
Ridiculing Zuma’s trademark song Inde Lendlela Esiyihambayo, loosely translated as “we still have a long way to go”, Wayile said this did not apply to the president and his family.
“For you and Khulubuse [Zuma’s nephew] it is actually short. It is even short for the Guptas.
“At the stadium, we join you in singing, while at home you are singing something else,” he said to applause.
“Comrades, we are meeting at a time when South Africa is in a crisis of jackals wearing sheeps’ skin – and those are our leaders.
“Power is with the masses. Everything is possible. We are launching the United Front in June and we are not turning back.
“We will not wait to be freed. We will free ourselves,” he said.
Wayile said the 21 years of democracy had only benefited “white monopoly capital” as thousands of South Africans were still not economically free.
He also slammed the corruption by the ANC leadership, saying it was rampant, with some leaders unable to distinguish “between a fire pool and a swimming pool”.
“How do you sleep at night when corruption is so rife? Why are [ANC] structures keeping quiet while money is being stolen?
“We have tolerated thieves, and we call them leaders and they walk freely among us,” he said.
“Go to St Albans [prison], you will find young people who stole painkillers and sweets while the real thieves who steal millions are
free because they control the system, the judges and the police.”
Trollip, who had harsh words to say about Zuma’s reaction to the recent xenophobic attacks, said that despite 21 years of democracy South Africa had regressed, with several issues inhibiting and constraining freedom. This included xenophobia, he said. “If you oppress a foreign person, you are not free. If you do not have work, you cannot enjoy freedom.
“You are not free unless you have dignity and proper service delivery.”
He said Zuma had still not publicly denounced the xenophobic attacks.
“I respect the office of the president but I do not respect the president. We deserve to have a president worthy of our respect,” he said.
Describing himself as a “mayor in waiting”, Trollip said Nelson Mandela Bay would be the first metro outside the Western Cape governed by the DA. “All we need is votes,” he said. “Freedom means nothing without dignity. The DA will bring dignity to the town.
“You need to get the same opportunities as your neighbours – the same service delivery as in the suburbs, where the refuse is collected once a week and not once a month.
“Democracy happened because of strong leadership and the leaders that made it happen were Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk.
“We had five years that things went well and then things changed.”
Trollip said the DA would make history by electing its first black leader next month.
“We want a black leader that is different and going to take the country back to being a non-racial society.”
The party’s national congress will be held in Port Elizabeth on May 9 and 10, when a new executive and party leader will be elected.
DA leaders contesting the leadership position left open after Zille said she would not stand for re-election include Mmusi Maimane, Wilmot James, Adrian Naidoo and Morgan Oliphant.
The two main contenders, Maimane and James, will face each other in a live TV debate on Multichoice pay channel kykNET on Monday night. The debate, on actuality programme Insig, will be anchored by the show’s host, Rapport editor Waldimar Pelser.
Yesterday, their campaign managers both said the two were available for as many public debates as the campaigning schedule allowed before the Port Elizabeth meeting.