President Jacob Zuma has for the first time tacitly and publicly endorsed his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to replace him as ANC president‚ which will also see her elevated to the country’s top job.
Zuma has spoken glowingly about Dlamini-Zuma’s leadership qualities‚ describing her as “very bold” and “someone you can trust” — and wished that the ANC would see that it had a leader in her.
Zuma was speaking at the St Catherine’s Roman Church in Dlamini-Zuma’s birthplace in Bulwer‚ in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands‚ where they both attended a service on Sunday before later joining the congregants of the Abundant Life Church in Durban.
“She is bold and you can’t fool her. She is someone you can trust‚” said Zuma‚ whose speech was delivered in Zulu.
Zuma said these characteristics were why the late president Nelson Mandela had appointed Dlamini-Zuma as health minister when he established his first cabinet after the 1994 elections.
He said when Thabo Mbeki took over from Mandela‚ he had made her foreign affairs minister.
“When I took over and because I knew her qualities‚ I appointed her as home affairs minister. She has her own way of doing things‚ which is very important‚” said Zuma.
Zuma said it was because of her leadership qualities that she was appointed as chairperson of the African Union (AU) in 2012 — a position she vacated last year.
“She turned the AU into what we wanted it to be. She is very respected in Africa and it would be surprising why she would not be respected in South Arica.”
Zuma praised the way in which the Roman Catholic Church had welcomed Dlamini-Zuma‚ saying it was a huge lesson for him as it showed that they knew her contribution.
“This is very nice and perhaps it is also going to teach us in the ANC that we have a leader‚” he said.
Dlamini-Zuma‚ who sat next to Zuma during the service‚ is widely expected to go head to head against Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for the coveted ANC presidency during the party’s elective conference in December.
Zuma and his ex-wife were joined by KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman and Economic Development MEC Sihle Zikalala who told congregants that Dlamini-Zuma was still going to lead.
“Mama Nkosazana has led us but I don’t want to lie she is still going to lead us. People may say whatever they like to say but ANC structures are still going to speak and when they speak they do not say what is being said by newspapers. They do not speak what we see being said by populists on TV‚” said Zikalala.
He said ANC structures will convey the will of the people “because ANC structures are in people and they know the people’s suffering“.
The former AU Commission chairperson — believed to be Zuma’s choice to succeed him as president — has been openly endorsed by the ANC Women’s League and the ANC Youth League while Ramaphosa has been endorsed by Cosatu‚ SACP and SANCO.
- TMG Digital
Zuma backs Nkosazana to replace him
President Jacob Zuma has for the first time tacitly and publicly endorsed his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to replace him as ANC president‚ which will also see her elevated to the country’s top job.
Zuma has spoken glowingly about Dlamini-Zuma’s leadership qualities‚ describing her as “very bold” and “someone you can trust” — and wished that the ANC would see that it had a leader in her.
Zuma was speaking at the St Catherine’s Roman Church in Dlamini-Zuma’s birthplace in Bulwer‚ in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands‚ where they both attended a service on Sunday before later joining the congregants of the Abundant Life Church in Durban.
“She is bold and you can’t fool her. She is someone you can trust‚” said Zuma‚ whose speech was delivered in Zulu.
Zuma said these characteristics were why the late president Nelson Mandela had appointed Dlamini-Zuma as health minister when he established his first cabinet after the 1994 elections.
He said when Thabo Mbeki took over from Mandela‚ he had made her foreign affairs minister.
“When I took over and because I knew her qualities‚ I appointed her as home affairs minister. She has her own way of doing things‚ which is very important‚” said Zuma.
Zuma said it was because of her leadership qualities that she was appointed as chairperson of the African Union (AU) in 2012 — a position she vacated last year.
“She turned the AU into what we wanted it to be. She is very respected in Africa and it would be surprising why she would not be respected in South Arica.”
Zuma praised the way in which the Roman Catholic Church had welcomed Dlamini-Zuma‚ saying it was a huge lesson for him as it showed that they knew her contribution.
“This is very nice and perhaps it is also going to teach us in the ANC that we have a leader‚” he said.
Dlamini-Zuma‚ who sat next to Zuma during the service‚ is widely expected to go head to head against Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for the coveted ANC presidency during the party’s elective conference in December.
Zuma and his ex-wife were joined by KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman and Economic Development MEC Sihle Zikalala who told congregants that Dlamini-Zuma was still going to lead.
“Mama Nkosazana has led us but I don’t want to lie she is still going to lead us. People may say whatever they like to say but ANC structures are still going to speak and when they speak they do not say what is being said by newspapers. They do not speak what we see being said by populists on TV‚” said Zikalala.
He said ANC structures will convey the will of the people “because ANC structures are in people and they know the people’s suffering“.
The former AU Commission chairperson — believed to be Zuma’s choice to succeed him as president — has been openly endorsed by the ANC Women’s League and the ANC Youth League while Ramaphosa has been endorsed by Cosatu‚ SACP and SANCO.
- TMG Digital
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos