DURBAN - WITH expectations mounting that President Jacob Zuma will step down soon, his son, Edward Zuma, says the family has nothing to do with ANC and government processes and that democratically elected leadership is not akin to a monarchy.
When asked about the family’s thoughts on the president’s seemingly looming exit, Edward distanced the family from the issue, repeatedly asking what the Zumas had to do with ANC and government affairs.
“The family does not meddle in the affairs of the government and the ANC. If you want to talk about matters concerning the government and the ANC there are people who speak on behalf of them, we don’t have anything to do with their matters.
“We don’t have the right (to speak on behalf of the ANC and government), because as a family we are also members of the ANC and we subscribe to the rules of the ANC and we can’t just talk,” Edward said.
On Friday Edward issued a statement on behalf of the family, promising to investigate instagram comments attributed to first lady, Thobeka Madiba Zuma.
On Saturday, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s confidante and long-time friend James Motlatsi fired shots at the Zuma family following Madiba Zuma’s attack on Ramaphosa.
Madiba Zuma jumped to the defence of her embattled husband, saying that “things were about to get ugly”, giving an indication, in an Instagram post on Friday, that Zuma was not going anywhere without a fight. Accompanied by a picture of the two, the caption read: “Kuzoshuba ungalwi nomuntu ongalwi nawe”, which loosely translated means: “It’s going to get tough/ugly - don’t fight with someone who is not fighting (with) you.” Motlatsi told the Sunday Tribune yesterday that Jacob Zuma and his family always believed they were above the country and above the ANC and see no fault in their actions.
“It doesn’t surprise me that she made such comments because JZ (Zuma) once said the ANC was above the country. Since he believes he is above the ANC, he doesn’t see anything wrong with the allegations against him and neither does his family.
“They think we must pay some allegiance to him but we are saying no,” Motlatsi said.
Motlatsi described the incident as “unfortunate” but said he did not have time to discuss it with Ramaphosa.
He said Zuma classified Ramaphosa as a spy for the Western capitalists..
“Now his wife is joining the chorus. We are hungry and thirsty for unity but JZ and his family are trying to destroy it,” Motlatsi said.