POLITICAL NEWS - While former president Jacob Zuma remains a political factor in KwaZulu-Natal, the harsh response by the ANC in KZN to his announcement that he will vote for a rival political party in next year’s general elections could be a sign that he has lost support in the party and the province, said political analysts.
On Monday the ANC in KZN described Zuma’s conduct as one reflecting gross indiscipline, adding that the political party, Umkhonto Wesizwe — which Zuma said he will be campaigning for — was “fake”.
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said while some in the ANC believed that Zuma still has influence, particularly in KZN, his support since his removal from office in 2018 has actually been declining.
“It could be that the ANC in KZN has realised that he no longer has support in the province. That could be why they are now portraying him in a negative light,” he said.
Also, unlike in the past when thousands of people attended Zuma’s court cases to lend him support, in recent years fewer people have been attending his court cases.
“All these things are signs that Zuma’s support is no longer as significant as it was when he was still in power and in a position to dispense patronage,” Ndlovu said.
Professor Susan Booysen, another political analyst, said Zuma’s conduct has the potential to alienate even his supporters in the ANC.
“It could influence others to look at Ramaphosa favourably. Zuma’s conduct creates a clear distinction between him and Ramaphosa,” she said.
ANC veterans association deputy president Mavuso Msimang, who a week ago resigned from the ANC but only to reverse his decisions a few days later, sought to distinguish
himself from Zuma.
Msimang, who said he resolved to return to the ANC after the party leadership had committed to taking a strong stand against corruption, described Zuma as a liability to the ANC.
Unlike in the past when influential ANC figures would come out to support Zuma, not even a single ruling party leader has come out to back the former president since his announcement in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Article: Caxton publication, The Witness
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