Don’t delay the dialogue – Zuma
LOZITHA – Former President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, has shared regrets of participating in armed struggle during the apartheid era.
Speaking during the national prayer service which marked the beginning of the year at Mandvulo Grand Hall, Zuma said the armed struggle against white supremacy was not necessary and left the nation of South Africa in pain.
Zuma said the war against the Boers left a lot of people dead from both the whites and blacks. He said they had a difficult time during the reconciliation period when families asked the reasons behind the killing of their relatives.
He narrated that he spent over 10 years in jail for participating and armed struggled and was further forced to cross through the informal border in Nhlangano to be exiled in Eswatini for more than 14 years.
“As I listened to the service by the pastors here today, I could not stop myself from reflecting on our time in South Africa, where we engaged in an armed struggle and some spent many years in jail like Nelson Mandela. The biggest question that I am asking myself is whether the fighting and war was necessary. Right now I can tell you that if the country goes to war, you will be taking a very dangerous route,” he said.
Zuma mentioned that he was part of those who were in the truth and reconciliation team and he experienced the pain of the people who lost their relatives in the armed struggle.
“I was called to negotiate when the time came. We had to sit around the table with the whites to discuss what is known as talks about talks and that is when I realised that the over 24 years I spent away from family might not have been necessary. What was necessary was for us to sit and discuss how we could co-exist. I want to implore the people of Eswatini to find a proper way of solving the problems. Now that we have prayed, it is time for the nation to find a solution to the issues,” he said.
Zuma further challenged the pastors not to preach to the King alone, but to also go to the people who are congregants in their churches. He said pastors were leaders and needed to engage the people to ensure that they knew the dangers of fighting and killing one another.
ADDRESS THE CONGREGANTS
Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini, before requesting the Indlovukazi to address the congregants, informed the former President that thugs were killing the people. He said the nation was not fighting among itself but only thieves were killing those who were opposing their views.
“I want to inform you president that it is just a few individuals who are saying they were not present when the current Constitution was crafted and, therefore, they do not want it. We are not at war against one another but thugs have seized the opportunity and started killing innocent people. Our biggest worry is that what kind of precedent we would be setting if we allow people to kill each other if they want something changed in the Constitution?” he said.
Dlamini said the country was committed to a dialogue process but the killings were making it difficult for such a process to start.