Zuma arrives at Nkandla
NKANDLA - There was a veil of secrecy over Nkandla yesterday morni n g when f o r mer Pr e s i d e n t J a c o b Zuma r eturned home t o att end t he burial of his l at e younger brother, Michael, who died almost two weeks ago.
Zuma was returning to his Nkandla home for the first time since he was jailed for 15 months at Estcourt Corr ection Centre f or contempt of t he Concourt on July 8.
Zuma started serving his sentence after surrendering himself.
On J u l y 11 , h i s l o n g - b e d r i d d e n brother, Michael, passed away.
Zuma applied t o t he Department of Correctional Services to go home on compassionate l eave. When his application was approved yesterday morning, he headed home.
While Zuma was home, the Zuma family, led by Edward Zuma and the Umkhonto we Sizwe vets who have been guarding the home since March, increased its surveillance and stopand- search processes.
By yesterday morning, only a few vehicles and mourners were allowed to pass through the checkpoint set up hundreds of metres from Michael’s home where the funeral was taking place. Michael’s home is nearby Zuma’s Nkandla home.
Yesterday, at around 10am, Zuma’s presidential protection services convoy drove him the short distance to his brother’s home.
A few metres from the home, there was another checkpoint where passing cars were scrutinised before being allowed to proceed through the last stretch of the gravel road.
Among the highprofile mourners at the funeral was KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala who had sent his condolences when news of Michael’s death broke.
Some mourners came in high- end SUVs with Gauteng registration plates and other mourners were driven and escorted in black SUVs with the registrations of KwaZulu- Natal towns like Empangeni ( NUF), Eshowe ( NES), Krankskop ( NKK), Impendle ( NIM) and Pietermaritzburg ( NP).
During the funeral, there was high police and army visibility across the area. Both security forces had set up a roadblock a few kilometres from the piece of land occupied by the Zumas i n Nkandla, s e a r c hi ng a l l pass i ng cars amid expectations that Zuma’s supporters would swarm the area and turn the funeral into a political rally to demand his release from prison.
By noon, no supporters were seen near the home.
Police vehicles and officers were seen moving in and out of Michael’s home while ot hers were s t at i oned in front of Zuma’s home, keeping a watchful eye.