Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
ANC president Jacob Zuma plans to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu in to find out "what his problem is with him" (Zuma).
Speaking on Ukhozi FM, Zuma said although he had refrained from responding to Tutu's attacks, he felt that after Tutu's pronouncement that he would not vote "if things remained the same in the ANC", he had to meet Tutu to find out what his problem is.
He said it was not the first time Tutu had attacked him personally, but because he respected him as an elder, he felt it was not necessary to respond.
"Before Polokwane, Archbishop Tutu said he would not vote if I became president of the organisation. Before that he had attacked me, saying I lacked morals, but I never said a word in response," Zuma said.
"This time I have to meet him to find out what his problem is. It worries me when people like Tutu say they will not vote . that might have a bearing on the ground.
"The public in general listen to people like him. For him to publicly say he will not vote should be challenged. I intend to meet with him on that basis.
"It raises a lot of questions when people like him are more into politics than preaching the gospel, but we can forgive him because of his age."
He also said the ANC expected former president Thabo Mbeki and some leaders who resigned from the cabinet to campaign for the ANC in next year's election.
"We expect him to show the same commitment just as he did while he was still the president of the country," Zuma said.
"We expect the same from those leaders who resigned when he was recalled."
He said the resolutions in Polokwane were "about service delivery".
Zuma wants to meet with Tutu
Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
ANC president Jacob Zuma plans to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu in to find out "what his problem is with him" (Zuma).
Speaking on Ukhozi FM, Zuma said although he had refrained from responding to Tutu's attacks, he felt that after Tutu's pronouncement that he would not vote "if things remained the same in the ANC", he had to meet Tutu to find out what his problem is.
He said it was not the first time Tutu had attacked him personally, but because he respected him as an elder, he felt it was not necessary to respond.
"Before Polokwane, Archbishop Tutu said he would not vote if I became president of the organisation. Before that he had attacked me, saying I lacked morals, but I never said a word in response," Zuma said.
"This time I have to meet him to find out what his problem is. It worries me when people like Tutu say they will not vote . that might have a bearing on the ground.
"The public in general listen to people like him. For him to publicly say he will not vote should be challenged. I intend to meet with him on that basis.
"It raises a lot of questions when people like him are more into politics than preaching the gospel, but we can forgive him because of his age."
He also said the ANC expected former president Thabo Mbeki and some leaders who resigned from the cabinet to campaign for the ANC in next year's election.
"We expect him to show the same commitment just as he did while he was still the president of the country," Zuma said.
"We expect the same from those leaders who resigned when he was recalled."
He said the resolutions in Polokwane were "about service delivery".