No place for vindictiveness over Zuma, MK military veterans insist

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s future as leader of the country must be dealt with thoroughly by the ANC’s newly elected national executive.

In doing so‚ there should be no place for vendettas and vindictiveness‚ the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association said.

“We call for unnecessary divisive pressure with regard to the future of President Jacob Zuma to be avoided,” MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe said.

“The ANC national executive must be given the opportunity to deal with this matter in a manner that will forge unity and the effective execution of policy.”

His comments come amid growing calls for Zuma to resign and for newly elected ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to take over the reins after he narrowly beat contender Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma at the party’s elective conference in December.

Since last year‚ alliances and partners of the ANC‚ including veterans‚ Cosatu and the SACP‚ have called for Zuma to resign in the wake of his cabinet reshuffles‚ which saw finance minister Pravin Gordhan and higher education minister and SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande sacked without consultation.

At the weekend‚ ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe criticised members of the ANC who have been saying Zuma will stay on as head of state until next year.

In contrast‚ at an ANC Youth League rally in April last year‚ Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane assured supporters that Zuma was going nowhere until his term of office came to an end.

In terms of ANC policy‚ the party president automatically becomes the country’s president.

But the party’s and the country’s terms do not run together – a two-year gap was created between the party leader’s election and that of the head of state.

MKMVA spokesman Carl Niehaus said: “Attacks on President Jacob Zuma have never been attacks on him as an individual but they are particularly driven by the intention to divide the ANC.

“That intention is to eventually bring out a situation where the ANC would lose political power.”

The ANC is expected to hold its national executive meeting this week.

On the agenda will be Zuma’s future as president of the country. – TimesLIVE