EXPLAINER
The Second Coming — what’s behind Jacob Zuma’s return to ANC elective lists?
The former president is turning up on branch nominations to the ANC’s elective conference across the country, but it’s unlikely to be enough to stage a comeback.
At midnight on 26 September, former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Sambudla-Zuma, sent out a Twitter release to her 205,000 followers. In it, her father put up his hand to serve as chairperson in the ANC’s Top 6, the leadership structure of the governing party, which is often more potent than the Cabinet.
“I have indicated that I will be guided by the branches of the ANC and that I will not refuse such a call should they deem it necessary for me to serve the organisation again at that level and I will not refuse such a call should they deem it necessary for me to serve the organisation again at that level or any other,” said the tweet. Decoded, this is ANC-speak to say Zuma wants to be re-elected to the party’s top structure at the December elective conference.
So what are the former president’s chances? At first glance, very bad.
The party’s electoral guidelines published in August say that anybody charged with or found guilty of unethical or immoral conduct, serious crime or corruption cannot be elected. That should rule Zuma out on several counts. Read Rebecca Davis here for more on the electoral guidelines.
But the ground is shifting. The party in KwaZulu-Natal will take 819 delegates to the elective conference — by far the highest number.
The provincial chairperson, Siboniso Duma, pays fealty to and takes direction from Zuma.
Queenin Masuabi reports here on the party’s decision to throw its weight behind former health minister Zweli Mkhize, who is embroiled in the Digital Vibes scandal — the deflection of public health funds for his family’s aggrandisement. Will Zuma’s hands-up make the party’s Taliban faction which rules KZN take notice?
The following weeks will tell. The midnight tweet by his daughter — not even released by the Zuma Foundation — suggests a leader piqued by Duma’s decision.
But several branches have endorsed Zuma for the party’s top job as its president, Daily Maverick has been told, and they have nominated him accordingly. This social card (see below) shows how the former president has repeatedly turned up on voting slates that are shooting across the ether like digital asteroids. The party’s leadership fight is being waged on social media and WhatsApp groups, and the old man wants back in.
Last year, Zuma was released from jail on medical parole by then Correctional Services Commissioner Arthur Fraser, with a nod and wink from President Cyril Ramaphosa. In August, Zuma’s lawyer Dali Mpofu said his client was terminally ill, as News24 reported.
Zuma, implicated in corruption by the State Capture Commission, wants back in the game and has made a miraculous recovery ahead of his desired second coming.
He has also endorsed Co-operative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s bid to be ANC president. In her first significant party political policy speech, Dlamini Zuma questioned the party’s step-aside rule whereby leaders charged with a crime that brings the party into disrepute must stand aside and not be eligible for election.
The Zuma game plan is clear — but its potential success is as murky as the Umgeni River. DM
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Sounds like another miracle recovery from a terminal illness for Zuma. Will this renewal team be renewing state capture, even better the second time around?
Yes
Don’t think it ever stopped
One thinks that journalists have to understand when they are fed cock and bull stories by just weighing the current information before them. Some amongst were waiting for KZN pronouncement because it is the only Province in my book that has held a legal conference and even then not rushed to pronounce on the leadership but waited for branches to express their views and collate and express the collective voice of branches. Their comments were important after the Conference because in reality only a person with a low coefficient of thinking would think that Jacob Zuma is standing given his legal problems with his parole and health let alone his advanced age. His mentally demented daughter cannot be taken seriously given the people she put on the ticket given where they stand. For instance Mlibo Qhoboshiyane is with Paul Mashatile along with Madikizela and Danny Msiza is with Stan Mathabatha and Ramaphosa and this is public information. Nomvula Mokonyane is with Paul Mashatile and Zweli Mkhize. You make an issue of NDZ but not Mamoloko Kubayi in Gauteng and both have no chance in hell! I think before journalists make an issue about social media postings of people with mental problems you need to check your facts. Zweli Mkhize was chosen because he has a base not only in KZN but outside KZN and has been very active in lobbying and spent money and the KZN PEC knows about divisions in all provinces and Cyril is not guaranteed as it seems!
Why is KZN ANC not concerned with Zweli Mkhize’s link to the Digital Vibes scandal – he resigned because of it? Why are they putting their weight behind someone who is tainted by corruption?
When you ask you are told about Ramaphosa and Phala Phala as well Glencore.
You can’t make this shit up. I mean, it’s just incredible how criminal the ANC is, on any level. We are totally a mafia state.
Yertle the Turtle is King of the Mud after his fall. This slug can in no way take more energy and attention from South Africa. The fact that some quarters entertain this is very telling about just how broken the ANC is
As murky and polluted as the Umgeni river. It defies all logic although perhaps now the dumbing down of the education system is bearing fruit.
for all we know ‘Shabby’ Shaik will be nominated for President after his amazing recovery from some terminal disease.
As per submission by Arthur Fraser, Zuma is incapable to do his own bed!!