The uMkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association says it will stop any attempts to arrest former President Jacob Zuma.
The former President has refused to appear before the Zondo Commission despite a Constitutional Court ruling ordering him to do so.
The African National Congress’ former ex-combatants led by its national executive committee have visited Zuma at his Nkandla homestead.
MKMVA spokesperson Karl Niehaus says they have now decided to deploy MKMVA members to Zuma’s home.
“MKMVA will do everything to prevent his arrest and to protect him from such humiliation. There will be from hence forth a presence of uMkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans members at Nkandla. When we met President Zuma yesterday, there was a team of MKMVA members there in full combat uniform. We will continue to have members of MKMVA in full combat uniform present at his residence for as long as we think it is necessary.”
ANC KZN believes Zuma’s refusal to appear before Zondo Commission will affect the party’s unity
The African National Congress (ANC) leadership in KwaZulu-Natal believes former President Jacob Zuma’s refusal to appear before the State Capture Commission will have profound implications on the unity of the party.
The party met Zuma last week to discuss the issue.
Speaking to the SABC, party provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli says the matter is unprecedented for the party in the province and it’s now seeking intervention from the president and national leaders.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal finds itself navigating uncharted waters as Zuma faces arrest should he defy the Constitutional Court ruling as he said he would.
The Constitutional Court instructed him to appear before the Zondo Commission. Party leaders in the province fear that divisions that already exist in the party could be widened.
Ntuli says, “So if he gets arrested, it is perfectly clear that society will be divided into two groups. There will be those who believe that his arrest is a test of justice, there will be those who will be convinced that he deserves to be arrested because he violated the decision of the highest court in the land.”
“Now that might not be a difficult decision for him because he has been in prison in the past but the implication and the cohesion of the ANC, our concern is that sooner or later the arrest of the former president will soon be appropriated to the sitting president of the ANC or some of the leader s of the ANC and when that happens divisions in the ANC will run deep.”
Zuma unhappy about Justice Zondo’
Another concern, the Constitutional Court’s swift ruling forcing him to appear before the Commission while his appeal against Zondo’s ruling was still pending.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal’s Mdumiseni Ntuli speaks to SABC:
KZN seeks mother body’s intervention
The Zuma saga has also been discussed by the ANC’s provincial working committee. Ntuli says they have resolved to request the party’s national officials to intervene.
