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READER LETTER | Zuma always plays the victim card

Former president Jacob Zuma
Former president Jacob Zuma
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU

Most politicians are responsible for the country’s grey listing by the Financial Task Force (FTF), mainly due to illicit financial flow activities. When the commercial banks closed accounts of companies linked to the Gupta families, the banks received a backlash from politicians and other political commentators.

The ruling party even went to the extent of summoning the banking executives to the party’s headquarters to explain their decisions. We later learnt, during the state capture hearings, about the illicit financial flows by the Gupta families.

When the media recently reported about FNB’s possible closure of Jacob Zuma’s account, the bank was again criticised by his sympathisers. As FNB is likely to have communicated its reasons to Zuma, he too is more likely the source of information to his sympathisers regarding the bank’s intention to close his account.

He intentionally did so, playing a victim card to get public sympathy. Instead of asking him the reasons provided by the bank to close his account, his sympathisers are blaming the banks. Zuma must account to his personal life without playing the victim card.

It has now emerged that the liquidator of VBS Mutual Bank has instructed the bank to freeze, and not close, Zuma’s account because he defaulted on his loan with VBS Mutual Bank. In 2022, the liquidator was granted an order to attach Zuma’s assets and his bank account is part of his assets, hence the freezing.

Zuma has the tendency of always playing the victim card to seek public and political sympathy. He must stop outsourcing solutions for his problems to the public.

Instead of sympathising with VBS beneficiaries, some people continue to sympathise with Zuma. He played the victim card during his rape case, when he had to go to jail for contempt of court for defying the state capture commission and he’s still playing it in his ongoing court appearances for his arms deal corruption cases.

As the country is trying to get out of the FTF’s grey listing, some politicians and political commentators are busy trying to drag SA to remain grey listed.

Phepisi Radipere, Ga-Ramokadi-kadi

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