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When President Zuma endorsed his daughter’s TV show

Gugulethu Zuma - 1985 The celebrity of the family and has genuine love for television. She became famous after her appearance on the popular drama Isidingo where she played Lesedi Moloi. Born in 1985, she is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s second daughter and has made it crystal clear that she is not interested in politics. Gugu’s controversy came into the spotlight when eThekwini Municipality spent R5million on the SABC1 drama, Uzalo, where she is a director.
Gugulethu Zuma - 1985 The celebrity of the family and has genuine love for television. She became famous after her appearance on the popular drama Isidingo where she played Lesedi Moloi. Born in 1985, she is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s second daughter and has made it crystal clear that she is not interested in politics. Gugu’s controversy came into the spotlight when eThekwini Municipality spent R5million on the SABC1 drama, Uzalo, where she is a director.

Five years ago‚ Gugulethu Zuma-Ncube would have struggled to say that she “can’t help who my parents are”. Especially not after her dad had taken to social media to punt the premiere of her new show at the time.

This week‚ she was at pains to dismiss suggestions that her father being the president of the country had anything to do with her television drama Uzalo being renewed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

She did this in a Twitter rant in reaction to a Sunday Times report that SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng – said to be an ally of President Jacob Zuma — overruled his staff to push through a R167-million contract with a production company co-owned by Zuma-Ncube.

Uzalo renewed because it brings in most advertising revenue: Zuma-Ncube

Among the tweets – each prefaced with the word “Fact” – was this from @guguzuma: “Fact: I can’t help who my parents are. But what I have always done is to put my head down and I work harder than everyone around me. #Uzalo”.

But‚ five years ago today‚ an endorsement for Zuma-Ncube came from the top Twitter office in the country.

On July 15 2011‚ Jacob G. Zuma ?@SAPresident – a verified account — posted: “I encourage you all to tune into channel 107 Tonight on dstv at 7pm for a new sitcom ‘it’s for life’ it promises to be great #itsforlife”.

 

<p =""> </p><p =""> </p><p ="">That post came in the morning ahead of the premiere of “It’s For Life with Gugulethu Zuma as Coco and Nokuthula Zuma as Jabu”.</p><p ="">The sitcom that aired on Mzansi Magic was described at the time as revolving around “four 20-something girls who find a squatter living in their house who they can’t seem to get rid of”.</p><p ="">The reaction to the president’s tweet ranged from disapproval to disbelief.</p><p ="">@AlexForsy said: “embarrassing that you use your twitter account to advertise your daughters sitcom. Is it tax sponsored as well?” while @Setjadphoko agreed‚ tweeting: “Self interest neh? The President should shy away from that! Its wrong“.</p><p ="">A fake Julius Malema account‚ @Julius–S–Malema‚ which had over 51 000 followers at the time responded: ‘Why? Bcz it has 2 of your daughters?“</p><p ="">The @SAPresident account is still open‚ but this has not been posted on since October 2013. @PresidencyZA – the “official Twitter page of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa” — is the account now used to communicate on behalf of Zuma these days. – TMG Digital</p>

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