‘Wrong to judge leaders by spouses’

IT is wrong and chauvinistic for people to judge ANC leaders by their spouses and not as individuals within the movement‚ KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman Sihle Zikalala said.

Delivering the keynote address at the eThekwini region ANC Youth League’s 73rd anniversary celebrations held at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi‚ Zikalala was responding to widespread assertions that President Jacob Zuma was being replaced by his former spouse‚ Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

“We cannot start now judging people by who they are married to. It’s wrong and nothing but chauvinism and those who say that are chauvinistic.

“Why don’t they ask as to when they joined the struggle‚” Zikalala said.

Zikalala said people never asked the same questions when Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was elected to lead the United Democratic Front and that it never arose that she was the wife of then president Nelson Mandela.

He said former state president Thabo Mbeki answered these questions as well when he was confronted about making Jabu and Geraldine Moleketi and Charles Nqakula and Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula ministers.

“President Mbeki said each of these cadres has their own strength and he did not view them as couples but individuals.

“So those who are saying we can’t elect comrade Nkosazana because she was once married to President Zuma are wrong and backward. I want to make it clear today they’re backward.”

Zikalala also reprimanded ANC youth leaders who spoke before him and attacked presidential hopeful Cyril Ramaphosa. eThekwini ANCYL chairman Thembo Ntuli had criticised Ramaphosa over his role in the Marikana massacre.

“Let us not ridicule others. Let us not badmouth ANC leaders,” Zikalala said.

“We all know there was a commission that investigated what happened in Marikana and which exonerated comrade Cyril.”

Zikalala said among all the presidential hopefuls they had discussed and chosen‚ Dlamini-Zuma was someone capable of advancing their programmes, which are land redress‚ economy and unity.

“Unity is not cosmetic and it’s not mechanical. Comrade Nkosazana has said whether she is elected or not, she will be campaigning with us in 2019.

“I’m asking and I need assurance if the other candidates will be with us in January next year‚” he said.