By Sbu Ngalwa
Jacob Zuma continued with his populist charm offensive on Saturday, receiving a rapturous response from a trade union rally in East London when he said he had been fired because he was uneducated.
Speaking in his capacity as Deputy President of the ANC and in his first public appearance since his axing as President Thabo Mbeki's second-in-command, Jacob Zuma made known his feelings about his dismissal as deputy president of the country.
Sharing a platform with Cosatu General-Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, Zuma used an emotive quote to stir up the 5 000 workers at a National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) 18th birthday celebration.
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| The crowd were clearly already in the mood |
The crowd were clearly already in the mood, though, having greeted Zuma with songs critical of Mbeki.
The ANC provincial leadership and top ANC party leaders were due to attend, but failed to arrive.
Zuma, quoting a former South African Democratic Teachers Union president, said, "When the struggle is fought and freedom is attained, in the majority of cases people begin to forget where we come from. Those who were with you in the trenches will become your arch enemies. They will tell you that 'my brother, it was good working with in the struggle, but you are not educated'."
The crowd cheered wildly as Zuma made this statement. He said after the dawn of freedom, leaders were defined by those who represented a particular class.
Critics saw this as a reference to Mbeki, who fired Zuma after his friend and financial adviser Schabir Shaik was found guilty of corruption and fraud. "No government can claim authority unless it is the will of the people. It is not me saying this, but a preamble of the Freedom Charter," he concluded.
| 'We don't care about being called names for our actions' |
"At the end of the day, our revolution will be defended by the working class."
As Zuma finished his speech he broke into song and sang a popular revolutionary song which called on freedom fighters to take up their arms and go to war.
"Awuleth' umshini wami" (Bring me my machine gun), he sang, as he did at other appearances before he was axed.
The crowd joined in and so did the rest of the union leadership, who shared the stage with Zuma in song and dance.
Many were unsure in which capacity Zuma was addressing the crowd, as he had asked to be relieved from official ANC activities until the outcome of his trial.
Vavi had earlier told the Sunday Tribune that Zuma was addressing the rally as ANC Deputy President.
Vavi said that Zuma had withdrawn from the ANC constitutional structure, but he could participate in other party activities.
The snubbing of the rally by ANC provincial leadership was evident, as Premier Nosimo Balindlela was expected to attend the rally, but failed to turn up, as did ANC General-Secretary Kgalema Motlante.
"He won't participate in structures like the National Working Committees of the party," he told the crowd. And when Zuma arrived at Sisadukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, calls of "Zuma, Zuma" echoed throughout the stadium, as the 5 000-strong crowd cheered him on.
Anti-Mbeki sentiment was strong among the crowd as they sang, "Mbeki lento uyenzayo ayilunganga" (Mbeki, what you are doing is not right).
Vavi used the occasion to launch an attack on the government and the private sector for job losses and escalating unemployment figures.
He call on State workers to join the nationwide strike tomorrow.
"Job losses are not confined to the mining and private sector," Vavi said.
"When employees die, the government does not replace them and so puts enormous pressure on those remaining."
"We don't care about being called names for our actions. We will not stand back. The Freedom Charter says work opportunity for all. It calls for all and not some."
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Tribune on June 26, 2005
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