Durban — In what appeared to be a campaign for the national chairperson position at the upcoming ANC conference, former president Jacob Zuma told his supporters that he was “ready for anything” because the Struggle had not ended.
Zuma was addressing his supporters outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday where he attended his case against State prosecutor Billy Downer and News24 legal journalist Karyn Maughan. He opened a criminal case against the two last year after Downer allegedly leaked his medical record to Maughan who then published an article with the alleged details of his illness.
The matter was postponed to December 8 to hear an application to strike the matter off the roll, which was earlier brought by both accused. Depending on the outcome of the permanent stay application, the matter has been set down for February 2 next year.
Buoyed by his branch nomination for a ANC top six position and his release from correctional supervision, an excited Zuma said he was not scared to talk politics and would not shy away from telling anyone if he was wrong, adding that since the Struggle had not been completed he was “ready for anything”, especially since he was no longer a prisoner. This was construed as a campaign for the party’s coming elective conference in December.
Zuma also told his cheering supporters that he would reveal more about the statement he had made recently. Two weeks ago he penned a statement where he confirmed his support for Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to contest for the presidency at the conference, and also confirmed his availability for the party’s national chairperson position.
Zuma also specifically thanked people for what he said was a campaign against judges’ “injustice”. He said he heard while he was in prison that the country was protesting because people were angry at the judges’ decision to order his arrest, calling on the people to do it again not only if he was arrested, but also if it happened to others. He vowed to again defy judges if they once more did what they had done to him, accusing them of violating his right to remain silent when he appeared at the State Capture Commission.
Despite the ANC provincial leadership snubbing Zuma and Dlamini Zuma for the party’s top six positions, his relationship with the provincial leadership appeared to still be intact. Chairperson Siboniso Duma and his deputy, Nomagugu Simelane, attended the case and reiterated the party’s decision to always come and support him whenever he appeared in court.
Introducing Zuma, Duma said the party in the province was still fully behind Zuma and would always support him. The party also announced that more buses would be hired next week to ferry supporters to support him during his appearance at his corruption trial.
In a surprise move, the ANC in the province recently endorsed Dr Zweli Mkhize to contest for the party presidency, thereby snubbing Dlamini Zuma who had already confirmed her availability. The party also pledged its support for Limpopo provincial chairperson Stan Mathabatha for the national chairperson position, despite Zuma’s availability.
Daily News