Durban - ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has lashed out at white business people who are opposing radical economic transformation.
Addressing traditional and religious leaders in Bulwer, her rural hometown outside Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday, Dlamini Zuma said that if her presidential campaign succeeded, she would implement radical economic transformation despite opposition from some white business people.
“Whites talk too much against RET (radical economic transformation), saying that we want to use it to loot.
“Who are they to talk about looting? They have been stealing ever since their arrival in this country. They stole our land,” she said, speaking in isiZulu.
She said she had adopted RET after seeing the pain suffered by families living in informal settlements.
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“If everything goes accordingly (meaning that if she is elected ANC president), I will take these white people on a bus to show them the suffering of shack dwellers.
“I will show these white people that there are people who live worse than their dogs,” she said.
Dlamini Zuma said she would build factories in rural areas so that rural folk won’t have to go to the cities. “If we implement RET it is going to restore dignity among our people.
"When we talk about RET we don’t intend to steal, but we want to create factories,” she said.
Dlamini Zuma was accompanied by Public Works Minister Nathi Nhleko.
President Jacob Zuma’s brother, Joseph Zuma, who had travelled from Nkandla, warned Dlamini Zuma about the bad culture in the ANC of wanting to oust a sitting president before the end of their term.
“You must worry about the ANC evil. Those who would be defeated will want to remove (you) before the end of your term.
“This is the evil that you will have deal with,” said Zuma.
The prayer meeting was organized by the Dlamini clan to pray for Dlamini Zuma’s safe journey to Nasrec for the ANC conference.
Her nephew, Inkosi Thulabezwe Dlamini, of the Bhidla tribal authority, said: “We are praying because we want her to win.
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“She is exemplary in this community and an inspiration. We want every young woman in this community to follow in her footsteps by becoming something important,” said Inkosi Dlamini.
The clan slaughtered two cows, while pastors prayed for Dlamini Zuma.
Another Dlamini traditional leader, Inkosi Fodo Dlamini, said the clan does not expect Dlamini Zuma to do favours for her clan, “since we are not the ones to elect (you) as the president”.
“You must work on improving the lives of all South Africans, because they are the ones who will put you in that position,” he said.
Dlamini Zuma has been officially nominated by her home province KwaZulu-Natal - the ANC’s biggest province in the country - in terms of the number of delegates to attend the ANC's elective conference taking place at Nasrec, south of Joburg, this week.
She has also been nominated by the Free State, Mpumalanga and North West.
The other main presidential hopeful, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the other hand, has been nominated by the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng, and Limpopo.
Although Dlamini Zuma enjoyed wide support from the big provinces, Ramaphosa has received the most number of branch nominations.
The ANC's secretary in the Harry Gwala Region, Sindi Msomi, said Dlamini Zuma was on her way to victory. “You enjoy support from the biggest provinces, you are going to win,” said Msomi.
In an interview with The Star last week, Dlamini Zuma slammed those who linked her campaign to President Jacob Zuma, saying they were dishonest and disingenuous.
She also threw her weight behind the establishment of an independent judicial inquiry to get to the bottom of the state capture allegations.
In terms of the delegations, KwaZulu-Natal will take the largest share, followed by Mpumalanga at 18% and 16%, respectively.
The Eastern Cape and Limpopo will be allowed to bring 14% each, while Gauteng and North West have been allocated 11% each.
The Free State will bring 9%, while the Western Cape and the Northern Cape - which are smaller provinces - have been allocated 4% each.