Zuma shifting the blame, says analyst

Published Nov 20, 2016

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PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma's whirlwind campaign to explain the crisis facing the ANC to ordinary members in KwaZulu-Natal is an attempt to shift the blame from himself and externalise the party's problems.

That is the view of a local political analyst following a weekend in which Zuma addressed thousands of party supporters in Pietermaritzburg on Friday and in KwaDukuza on Saturday during a meeting termed the “cadres forum”.

The visit to the province is the second in nearly as many weeks. He recently visited Edumbe after the ANC gained control there for the first time in the recent local government elections.

Many showed up at the meetings at the weekend wearing T-shirts with the “Hands off my president” logo.

“In the last two public appearances, it's clear that he is trying to take the focus away from himself and paint himself as a victim while 
trying to buy sympathy from supporters,” said political analyst Protas Madlala.

“This is not going to work because even the most ordinary people in the street are questioning that this time.”

Zuma was in his element as he appealed to his supporters. He delivered his entire address in Zulu and for English translations he “consulted” those seated next to him, because he is “not educated”.

The visits, he said, were meant to be frank discussions about the real causes of problems facing the party. But Zuma could not speak frankly due to the presence of the media, said Madlala.

Zuma highlighted the many problems he said were central to the ANC’s turmoil, saying the party faced something that most liberation movements faced after 20 years in power, and assured party members it would pass.

He said unnamed foreign countries were funding locals to destabilise South Africa because they were unhappy that the country was a member of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Chief among the problems, he said, was that the government did not control the economy and was open to being manipulated by those with money.

He said there were three 
pillars that secured the country and held it together – 
political power, economic power and security of the state.

He said so far the government only held political power, while economic power was controlled by someone else.

He said because of this economic imbalance, his government came under attack as those with money were using it to manipulate the people.

ANC provincial chairperson Sihle Zikalala took issue with rumours that some in the party were unhappy with support for Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma as a candidate to take over from Zuma.

Madlala said the Zuma name would be a problem for Dlamini Zuma.

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