Former president Jacob Zuma. Picture: Leon Lestrade/African News Agency (ANA)
By Lehlohonolo Mashigo and Noxolo Miya
JOHANNESBURG - Former president Jacob Zuma says money has become the determining factor of leadership in the ANC.
Speaking at an ANC event in Ekhuruleni, where he also did a walkabout in the township of Katlehong, Zuma said this was a precarious situation the party was facing because people had a sin of loving money.
In a veiled attack on current ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa over allegations that he used money to win the last conference, he alluded to the idea that Ramaphosa was famed for such practices.
“At Nasrec (2017), he was famous for having a lot of money, and even now he’s still famous for that,” said Zuma.
He said if people were truly in need of money, they should rather take whatever money was meant for a bribe and spend it all but still vote correctly.
“I don’t know if we have a right in the ANC to take someone who was never elected accordingly as president in the first place and to promote him and give him presidency again. What will the ancestors of the ANC say? I haven’t even mentioned the case of Phala Phala.”
Zuma also made mention of allegations that Ramaphosa was a spy.
He also discussed the multitude of positions being handled by ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who is in the running to be party deputy heading to the conference on Friday.
“Why is it that today, for the first time in the ANC, a person has three titles? He’s a treasurer, acting secretary, and acting deputy secretary. Three positions for one person and then after all those positions, he fails to fulfil his original position (that of treasurer) and can’t pay workers at Luthuli House,” said Zuma.
He also made mention of what many in the party were calling a “witch-hunt” against those who were vocal against the current ANC leadership.
“This is the time to protect the ANC. In fact, the ANC was founded to liberate blacks, but now it’s being changed and used to oppress blacks. The way that people are being threatened with imprisonment and baseless charges.
“I am a first-hand example of that. I was arrested under apartheid and also under democracy. I was arrested for practising my constitutional right. I don’t even have a case number. I was just fetched from my house and sent straight to prison,” said Zuma.