Lungani Zungu
The political career of former president Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, appears to have got off to a rocky start.
On Sunday, he attended the ANC’s Ward 11 Branch General Meeting hoping to be elected as branch chairperson, but it didn’t work out that way.
He arrived early at Newlands East Secondary School with his bodyguards, where his supporters in ANC t-shirts were already in attendance, ready to celebrate if he was elected.
But Duduzane left dejected after the meeting was postponed when ANC branch members who were against his election snubbed the meeting and a quorum could not be reached.
A new date has not been set.
“Together with his entourage, they were left embarrassed when the meeting was postponed,” said an ANC member.
Many branch members are against his election after the branch chairperson said he had not been an active member of the branch.
During his father’s presidential term, Duduzane was a lesser-known figure. He shot to fame for all the wrong reasons when his controversial business partners, the Gupta family, were accused of state capture.
This is the first time he is contesting for a position in the ANC.
Some ANC members questioned why he is surfacing now at the Newlands branch.
“The ANC belongs to all its members but he can’t just come here and say he wants to be chairperson,” said an ANC member.
“He can’t stay in Dubai and contest leadership positions. We are not going to allow that,” said another who did not attend the meeting.
Scrolla.Africa has learnt that the members who snubbed the meeting had planned this before it took place, knowing that the meeting would not sit if the quorum was not reached.
This has left Duduzane, who dreams of becoming the next president of the ANC, in a difficult position.
Duduzane’s phone rang to voicemail.
The ANC’s Barbara Fountain, responsible for Ward 11 BGM, could not be reached either and her phone rang to voicemail.
