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Activists and Citizens Forum(ACF) says it completely understands former President Jacob Zuma’s bitterness and anger.
The 81-year-old announced that he will not campaign for the ANC in the coming national elections in 2024, instead he will vote for newly formed party uMkhonto WeSizwe. However, he will remain a member of the ANC.
Speaking through his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla at a media briefing in Soweto on Saturday he said, it “would be a betrayal” to campaign for the ANC of current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Some ANC leaders have asked me to campaign for the ANC in the 2024 elections and for the reasons I’ve stated and many others that I will share with the public in the coming months, I have decided that I cannot campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa.
“I will die a member of the ANC,” his statement said, but that it had “changed into an organisation we no longer recognise”.
He said some leaders were behaving in an “un-ANC manner” and he intended to “rescue” the organisation.
ACF spokesperson Dennis Bloem said the former states man is clearly bitter with the internal party treatment that he received.
“Everybody can see that Zuma and his faction are treated like stepchildren of the ANC. What Zuma is saying is that all are not equal in the ANC.
“He is not the only one fingered by the Zondo Commission for wrongdoing. The Commission fingered 97 members of the ANC, some senior officials, but they are still sitting in their positions.
“In our view, this decision and announcement of Jacob Zuma is a big blow for the ANC in the upcoming elections. It will definitely bring down their support, and nobody can underestimate the support of Jacob Zuma,” he stated.
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Bloem further added that Zuma’s decision is a welcome decision as it is in the best interest of the country.
Meanwhile, The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, alliance partners, and all its structures have called a mass press conference in Durban to address the issue of former President Jacob Zuma and MK (Umkhonto Wesizwe) party.
The mass press conference will be held in Durban on Monday afternoon.
