Cape Town – The leader of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), Collen Malatji, believes that former president Jacob Zuma is being used by his children, friends and family, after he announced he will not be voting or campaigning for the ANC in 2024.
Zuma has caused a stir amongst the ANC leaders when he announced his decision to vote for the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party and not campaign for the ANC. This led to fears that many staunch ANC followers and leaders, especially in KZN, would follow Zuma to the new party.
However, Malatji believes that Zuma is being manipulated and being ill-advised by those closest to him, and that he should be axed from the ANC, the Citizen reported.
“It is unfortunate that a former president of the ANC is abused by his kids, friends and family. “They are making him make a lot of mistakes and erasing his legacy and the hard work he has done to fight for the democracy of this country and as a former president for two terms,” said Malatji.
Malatji added that Zuma’s decision was a great ill-discipline that the ANC should put an end to immediately, adding that of he were in charge, he would see that these sort of things did not happen.
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“I don’t know why the ANC is not acting on discipline. We raised it when people voted against the ANC in Parliament. The ANC still didn’t act. It is continuing.”
“They are lucky that they are led by a soft president in Ramaphosa. If they were led by me, they would be gone. We would rather have an ANC of a few disciplined people than an ANC with a lot of ill-disciplined people,” Malatji said.
He added that Zuma was given a chance to rescind his decision like Mavuso Msimang did, and slammed the former president for criticising Ramaphosa’s tenure, despite being supported blindly during his own tenure.
“We supported Zuma in the difficult times of Nkandla when there were serious allegations of corruption because they believe in the principle of innocent until proven guilty. When Zuma was accused of rape, we stood by him until he was declared innocent.” he concluded.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
