FORMER president Jacob Zuma has congratulated his son Duduzane following his election as Chairperson of the ANC’s ward 11 branch in Newlands East, Durban, telling him that leading at branch level is where he had also started before achieving the end goal of the party presidency.
Duduzane, who despite not living in Newlands East but says he has family ties in the area, was elected during a general branch meeting held in the north of Durban township’s community hall on Thursday.
Zuma has made no secret of his desire to become ANC President, with the #dz22 slogan already in the public domain on several platforms where his supporters have been endorsing him for the ruling party’s top leadership position.
In a series of short videos, former president Zuma is seen beaming with pride as he showers his son with congratulations following his elections as branch chairperson.
“Congratulations, my brother, congratulations indeed for winning or being elected as the chair of the branch in Newlands East, ward 11. This is absolutely an important one, I think, to belong to a branch is an absolutely important thing, just to be a member of the branch,” Zuma said.
WATCH: Former President Jacob Zuma congratulates his son, Duduzane Zuma, for being elected as chair of his branch in Durban. He told his son that "we all started there" and "ended somewhere up." This is in apparent reference to the fact that Duduzane wants to lead the ANC. @IOL pic.twitter.com/Uah9GSfOFf
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) December 21, 2021
He also told Duduzane his election as branch chairperson was significant as it came with the important responsibility to lead, and he would now have the opportunity to engage in and lead discussions about the ANC and lead the direction of the branch as it is “the branch is what makes the ANC what it is”.
“It’s always important to make the branch make the difference within the organisation itself and secondly within the community where you are, to be able to serve the community and therefore give that kind of leadership.
“So congratulations very much for being elected chairperson of the branch, and I feel proud. We all started there. We all started there, but we ended up somewhere, but we all started there,” Zuma said in reference to ending up being ANC President for two terms.
“The politics (at branch level) are important, but also to take the interest of the branch members and the supporters in that area, and the community as such. It’s a challenge, but it is also an important achievement that you have made,” Zuma said.
Duduzane said that he was happy that Zuma thought that he was on the right path because leading at branch level was where his father had started, and he was now starting at the same level with the same end goal (of the ANC Presidency) in mind.
Political Bureau