Zuma snubs ANC Gauteng poll drive

Former party leader said to prefer campaigning in KZN

● Jacob Zuma has snubbed a request by Luthuli House to join the ANC’s campaign in Gauteng ahead of the May 8 elections.

This is according to people in Zuma’s inner circle, who indicated this week that the former head of state and president of the ANC preferred to continue to campaign in KwaZulu-Natal as he felt he was more likely to make an impact there.

Zuma’s decision to decline an invitation to campaign in Gauteng is in stark contrast to the conduct of former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, who endorsed the ANC in the province this week.

Gauteng leaders claimed earlier this year that Zuma would be one of the former leaders who would join the campaign in the province.

But provincial leaders this week said it was not they who had invited Zuma.

Zuma last campaigned in Gauteng in January, when he visited Bekkersdal on the west rand. He is said to still be aggrieved that some Gauteng leaders blame him for the party’s poor performance in the 2016 local government elections.

Earlier this year Zuma released a statement on Twitter, complaining about being made a scapegoat. “But how many bothered to take the time to acknowledge that this was the same province where this same Zuma had been rejected by some in the provincial leadership, treated with embarrassment and most heavily criticised by the ANC itself?” he said in the statement.

Those close to the former president said there was nothing untoward about his decision to turn down the party’s request to campaign in Gauteng, a province where voters are seen as hostile to him.

“It is not a malicious decision but a strategic decision because why focus on Gauteng when he can win hearts in this province [KwaZulu-Natal] where his contribution is most likely to bring more votes to the ANC than anywhere else?” a source said.

“Comrade JZ, like any ANC member, wants to see an overwhelming majority victory by the ANC and if he feels he can contribute through campaigning where he knows he will convince people to vote for the ANC, there should be no problem,” the source said.

Zuma’s spokesperson Vukile Mathabela referred questions to Luthuli House.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule confirmed that an invitation to Zuma to join the campaign in Gauteng came from his office. Magashule, however, downplayed Zuma’s absence this week, saying there was still time for him to woo Gauteng voters.

“These are the last days of the campaign. You will see him by next week here [in Gauteng],” said Magashule.

“Zuma and other former presidents, we have said they can campaign anywhere in the country, it’s an official position of the ANC. Zuma has been campaigning because the organisation said yes they must campaign, he has been in KZN, the Free State, he has gone to various other places and yes he was supposed to be in Gauteng but unfortunately he was not available this week,” said Magashule.

KwaZulu-Natal is a crucial voting bloc in next month’s election, accounting for 20.65% of SA’s registered voters — but Gauteng still leads with the number of potential voters at 23.86% of the national total.

Zuma’s absence in the ANC’s campaign was conspicuous until he made a comeback during the party’s electioneering on the Easter weekend. There was a push within the ANC provincial executive committee for Zuma not to be given a prominent role in the campaign, but his supporters fought hard for him to be accommodated in the campaign.

Sources at Luthuli House said the party had planned to send Zuma to campaign in Gauteng’s townships, where he is popular.

Why focus on Gauteng when he can win hearts in KwaZulu-Natal? Source in Jacob Zuma’s camp