By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ahead of the May 29 presidential election, South Africa’s former President, Jacob Zuma on Saturday put on a show of strength in the historic township of Soweto believed to be a stronghold of the governing African National Congress (ANC) as he campaigned for votes to return as the country’s leader.
Zuma had announced his resignation from the ANC last week, and joined the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe party, which translates as Spear of the Nation.
Heritage Times HT recalls that his appearance before a disciplinary committee over anti-party activities was recently stalled over security concerns, after he openly declared that he would not vote for ANC in this month’s presidential election.
A large turn out of supporters during the campaign rally also challenges the perception that Zuma’s support base is limited to his Zulu ethnic group, the biggest in South Africa.
“Unite Africa. Unite South Africa,” he said in a short address to the crowd, adding: “Phansi [Down with] tribalism.”
Mr Zuma’s supporters saw Papa Penny’s presence, a very influential personality who hails from the small Tsonga community in Soweto.
The supporters backing the return of the 82-year-old former leader as the number one citizen chanted “Zuma, Zuma” as he walked into the stadium, while his increasingly influential daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, knelt in front of him and hugged him before he took his seat on the stage.
She serves on what is called the “national core” of the party, and she recently told The Shady PHodcast: “My father is obviously the head, and I’m the neck.”
Soweto has deep political symbolism as it was at the forefront of the struggle against the racist system of apartheid, which ended with the ANC’s rise to power in 1994 which saw Nelson Mandela emerge as the party and country’s first democratically elected President.
The May 29 election will see the incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa test his popularity with his predecessor who still wields massive political influence in the country.
Ramaphosa ousted Zuma as President in 2018 after a vicious power-struggle, culminating with the former president ditching the ANC last December. He launched a fresh bid for power under the newly created uMkhonto weSizwe party.
