Don’t vent anger on the ANC for mistakes of leaders: Zuma

Former president Jacob Zuma has called on ANC members and supporters not to vent their anger on the party for mistakes being made by party leaders.

He was delivering a virtual address during a prayer meeting in Durban following his recent release from prison on medical parole.

Zuma says instead of staying away from the polls in the upcoming municipal elections, people should rather raise their dissatisfaction at the party’s next national conference.

“If we say let us not give the ANC the power, we are almost like somebody who stabs himself with his own spear and I am unhappy that I am told even some cadres of the ANC with their anger. It can’t be correct, we need to solve the problems within the ANC not to move out of its power. If the leaders are not leading correctly, are not implementing the decisions that the membership takes, deal with that issue. Leaders are changed if there is a need to change them in order to maintain the organisation. We must watch that we do not help our enemies because we are angry.”

Zuma says he handed himself over to authorities in July to serve a 15-month prison term for contempt of court, to avoid the potential loss of innocent lives.

Zuma says there was a build-up of security forces in the King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal before he handed himself over.

This happened against the backdrop of supporters of the former president at his home at Nkandla, who vowed to prevent his arrest.

Zuma says the security actions appeared to him to be a heavy-handed show of force and an unwarranted threat of violence.

Zuma’s address to prayer meeting:

Political analyst, Professor Barry Hanyane analyses Zuma’s address: