Unpunctual Zuma leaves Kenyatta waiting
● President Jacob Zuma’s tardiness left Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta alone for more than an hour at the ANC’s fundraising gala dinner in the East London International Convention Centre on Friday.
Kenyatta was escorted into the venue by ANC deputy president David Mabuza while ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa sat alongside his wife, Tshepo Motsepe, and a dozen business people who had paid top dollar for a seat at his table.
Mabuza exchanged pleasantries with Kenyatta but did not sit next to him, presumably because guests including Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini and businessman Lunga Ncwane were waiting for him at the second-most-expensive table in the room.
Kenyatta made small talk occasionally with guests, smiled and agreed to photo requests, but mostly sat by himself as he ate a starter of chicken strips and salad.
Zuma arrived at about 9pm to greet Kenyatta and exchange pleasantries, just as waiters were removing Kenyatta’s starter plate.
The pair laughed when Ramaphosa joked in his address that he had received a message from a comrade in Limpopo asking the newly elected ANC leadership to legalise witchcraft and provide free alcohol.
Ramaphosa was on a charm offensive when he spoke of the “pilgrimage” the new ANC leaders had embarked on to the graves of the founders of the party in the run-up to the party’s January 8 rally yesterday.
“This leadership received a very clear mandate from conference delegates that they want to see the leadership united in everything it does. We have a clear mandate. If we speak in different tongues, we will be violating a conference decision.”
Ramaphosa said that from where he sat, he saw the true might of the party, and drew parallels to seeing the true size of a mountain from the right side. He joked that “the real size of Table Mountain can be seen from Tuynhuys”. The crowd laughed at his reference to Zuma’s Cape Town office.
After his address, Ramaphosa joked with Zuma and Kenyatta and posed for pictures.
Zuma was also late at yesterday’s rally, and was booed by the crowd.