There has been one Jacob Zuma trick after the other at the ANC’s 55th national conference, where 5,000 delegates are gathered to elect the next leadership of the organisation.
On Thursday, a day before the start of the conference, Zuma tried to fool everyone into believing President Cyril Ramaphosa had been charged and had a pending date with the courts.
Being indicted to appear in court on a criminal charge is a key requirement in the enforcement of the ANC step-aside rule.
But conference delegates showed no interest in Zuma’s private prosecution gimmick.
Then, on Friday, Zuma waited until Ramaphosa had started delivering his organisational report before walking into the main hall and disrupting the speech as his backers broke into the infamous “Wenzeni uZuma” rendition.
Then he pulled another stunt; instead of joining ANC dignitaries and former ANC presidents on the podium, Msholozi picked a seat among KwaZulu-Natal delegates.
From that point onwards, pro-Zuma supporters tried to drown the speaker in disruptive noise, banging on the tables and occasionally breaking into song.
National chairperson Gwede Mantashe, a fervent supporter of Ramaphosa, had to call security into the hall.
Zuma’s position on the conference floor does, however, give him some kind of advantage in driving his strategy of stirring the anti-Ramaphosa cauldron to boiling point.
While the so-called RET forces clearly lack the numbers to unseat Ramaphosa, they have other options, like joining forces with Paul Mashatile and the Gauteng caucus that supports him.
Additional nominations of leaders to contest top six positions would present opportunities to the likes of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and other populists like Lindiwe Sisulu.
Dlamini-Zuma, who is facing a disciplinary hearing for defying the party line during a vote in Parliament, issued a statement reminding her supporters that she is available for nomination for the ANC’s top job.
“I wish to assure you that the communication I received from the acting SG of the ANC does not affect my ability to stand.”
“If nominated by branches of the ANC, I am still allowed to stand for nomination and I will avail myself,” she said.
Scrolla.Africa has also learned of ongoing negotiations to present Mashatile and a third option in the presidential race.
The real showdown begins on Saturday, when the floor will be open for additional nominations and delegates will vote for each of the top six positions: president, deputy president, national chairperson, secretary-general, deputy secretary and treasurer-general.
Pictured above: Jacob Zuma takes his seat next to KZN deputy chair Nomagugu Simelane
Picture source: @ECR_Newswatch
