Jacob Zuma ‘is a symbol of the oppression of people in SA’, says foundation

Cape Town – Former president Jacob Zuma is “a symbol of the oppression of the people of South Africa”, his foundation has said, as it announced that a national welcome prayer will be held for him on Thursday next week in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Speaking during a media briefing on Friday, Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said the former leader will be welcomed and prayed for by various churches of all denominations, African spiritualities, and traditionalists.

He said the prayer would be about “thanking God for the sterling work He has done thus far in protecting” Zuma.

“The prayer will also be about asking God to continue protecting President Zuma and keeping him safe from the dark forces that want to finish him,” said Manyi.

Zuma was in August admitted to a hospital outside the Estcourt Correctional Centre where he had been incarcerated for 15 months for ignoring a court order to testify before a judicial panel probing corruption during his nine-year tenure which lasted until 2018.

He was granted medical parole by the department of correctional services in September, and would, therefore, complete the rest of his sentence in a “system of community corrections”.

Manyi said Zuma was loved by an overwhelming majority of people in South Africa and all of them had been worried about his incarceration.

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“Some were concerned that horrible things might happen to him whilst incarcerated.

“The people of South Africa have not forgotten that His Excellency President Zuma survived attempts in his life through poisoning. People of South Africa are still grieving that their hero, a true freedom fighter, a man that sacrificed spending quality time with his family was dealt a severe and unjust blow by the democracy that he fought so tirelessly for,” said Manyi.

It remained unclear whether Zuma would be in attendance at the prayer.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

 

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