KwaZulu-Natal Premier and ANC Provincial Chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, says the Constitutional Court’s decision against former president Jacob Zuma has divided the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
Zikalalala and and provincial ANC secretary Mdumisani Ntuli are among those who met Zuma at his home in Nkandla, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday.
The ANC provincial leaders say they hope that the Constitutional Court will consider arguments put forward by the former president.
“It is clear that the society is divided, we are engaging with all stakeholders. The stakeholders that are involved here will be ANC members, traditional leaders, the third is the structures. The fact that the matter is now in the Constitutional Court, it makes us to be able to solve the matter where it should be engaged,” Zikalala says.
#sabcnews #sabckzn ANC KZN Chair Sihle Zikalala flanked by Prov Secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli have met former president Jacob Zuma in Nkandla. Zikalala says Concourt decision has divided the society. pic.twitter.com/cC5DGRlzll
— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) July 3, 2021
Hundreds of Zuma’s supporters from various provinces have also descended on Nkandla to show solidarity to the former president.
“Hence you have seen people here around mobilising and some of them even saying that no the former president must not go and comply with that judgment. We don’t want to see any confrontation between the people and the state and we don’t want also to have a situation that will lead to any form of violence so we believe tha the approach that has been taken by Nxamalala is going to help us and ensure that the matter is engaged properly in the proper platform which is the Constitutional Court,” says Zikalala.
Nkandla in a hive of activities as leaders supporters back Zuma:
Suspended ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, was also in Nkandla.
He says he doesn’t know whether Zuma will still hand himself over to start serving his 15-month contempt of court sentence after the Constitutional Court said it would hear Zuma’s rescission application on Monday, July 12.
Zuma had been expected to hand himself over to start serving his sentence by midnight on Sunday. The country’s Apex Court had sentenced Zuma for ignoring the ConCourt’s order that he should continue testifying at the State Capture Commission.
“We had a very wonderful political discussions. Well I don’t know President Zuma is President Zuma he had all the time respected the Constitution of this country he has all the time respected the law. I am not a lawyer will hear from that case in Maritzburg on Tuesday,” he told journalists outside Zuma’s home.
Zuma’s son, Edward, has reiterated his promise to protect his father from being jailed. Zuma says his father has been a law-abiding citizen.
“I am saying and what I am pushing for people to be doing is that whatever decision president Zuma takes we will respect that. However there is one decision we will not respect, of him submitting himself to the law enforcement agencies for incarceration. We will not accept that they would have to kill us before that happens,” he says.
The former president will address his supporters on Sunday evening.
Ace Magashule, Edward Zuma speak to journalists:
