Acting Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC) Jessie Duarte says they will take action against former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla following her tweets on what is happening in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Duarte was speaking after a special ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Duarte says it can’t be right for Zuma-Sambudla to be perpetuating violence and the damaging of infrastructure. The Acting SG says the acts of looting could cause further job losses.
Zuma-Sambudla has been taking to Twitter, pleading for support for the protests demanding the release of the former president. Duarte says it is not only Zuma-Sambudla but there are five others who will be taken to task for what she calls, “reckless tweets”.
“So we are not leaving it there, she will have to answer. She is the member of the ANC, every other member is equal with the other member of the ANC, she will have to explain.”
Concern over violence and looting
Meanwhile, the ANC NEC has expressed concern over the flare-up of violence and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Infrastructure has been vandalised, with shops and other businesses looted.
Duarte says the ANC acknowledges that some people are angry about the incarceration of Zuma. But she says the acts of violence will not be tolerated and law enforcement agencies must do their job and arrest those who are committing crimes.
“The current violence in parts of KZN and Gauteng is having damning effects on the economy and livelihoods. A number of business organisations have registered their concerns about the acts of vandalism. Although these acts might be driven by hardship and poverty, the poor and marginalised will bear the brunt of this looting and vandalism as critical public services are hindered and jobs are lost.”
Duarte has appealed to ANC members to be calm during this time of turmoil in both Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“We acknowledge that his imprisonment is the source of tension for some of our members. We nevertheless urge our members to remain calm and not participate in acts that seek to divide and weaken our organisation. The NEC reaffirms our support for the ANC leadership in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and instructs our deployees to these provinces to prioritise their engagements in the province.”
Political analyst Levy Ndou unpacks the role of political parties and branches in ongoing violence across the country:
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at around eight this evening on the looting that has hit Gauteng and Kwazulu Natal. The SABC will cover the address live on its channels including radio, TV, and online.
