Family ‘fully supports new ANC leadership’

THE family of former president Jacob Zuma has called on ANC members and supporters to practise maximum restraint in the wake of his departure.

Zuma’s son‚ Edward, said the family was aware that some ANC members were disgruntled by the recall and were calling for a boycott of the 2019 general elections.

“We believe that the ANC remains the home for all the people of this country,” Edward said on behalf of the family.

“The party was created to unite all the people of South Africa and mobilise them all to struggle for the liberation of all those who were oppressed by apartheid – blacks in general and Africans in particular – as well as to tirelessly work to ensure a better life for all the people of this country.”

Edward said the Zuma family fully supported the new ANC leadership elected in December, led by Cyril Ramaphosa.

“We are calling upon all members of the ANC to close ranks and support the leadership as we prepare for the state of the nation address‚ where the programme of action of the government will be unveiled‚” he said.

Edward said that‚ over the next few months‚ members of the Zuma family would campaign for the ANC in the cities‚ suburbs and townships.

“We will mobilise for the support of the ANC in the rural areas and appeal to the people under Amakhosi and Izinduna‚ and all traditional structures.”

He called for the resolutions that were taken by the ANC December conference to be implemented.

“The implementation of the ANC resolutions on land‚ free education and radical economic transformation should be the focus instead of discussing leadership preferences‚” Edward said.

He also sang the praises of the party‚ saying that the ANC had delivered basic services over the past 23 years.