Former president turned opposition politician Jacob Zuma says ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is misleading the party and has never properly led it after his tenure.
Zuma expressed his concerns about the future of the party in an interview with EWN on Thursday, saying ANC leaders were afraid to "correct poor decisions" made by Ramaphosa.
“The leadership of the ANC was no longer listening to its party. They were making a lot of decisions that were taking the ANC away from where we needed it to be. They were not correcting anything because they feared this man for a number of reasons,” he said.
Zuma criticised Ramaphosa's way of handling key issues that he said he discussed with him to maintain peace in the ANC after he resigned as head of state in February 2018.
“I told him to report to the national executive committee (NEC) and suggested what I think we can do to not make the organisation fight. But he never came back to me with the NEC's response. He disappeared until later when we had a meeting with the officials.”
The former president said this made him take the decision to never meet the president.
Zuma is leader of the newly formed MK Party which won 14.58% of votes in the recent national elections recently and obtained 58 seats in the National Assembly. He said his intention for starting his own political party was not to fight the ANC or Ramaphosa, but that he was trying to “rescue the ANC”.
“I'm a very sweet person. I'm not fighting Ramaphosa. If I was fighting Ramaphosa he wouldn't be where he is. I have never fought Ramaphosa. I've only criticised where he has done wrong.” Zuma said.
It remains to be seen how the divisions will be resolved as coalition talks continue and what impact this will have on the country.
TimesLIVE
‘He misled the party, that’s why I call it the Ramaphosa ANC’: Jacob Zuma
Former president says ‘I’m a very sweet person’
Image: SHIRAAZ MOHAMED
Former president turned opposition politician Jacob Zuma says ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is misleading the party and has never properly led it after his tenure.
Zuma expressed his concerns about the future of the party in an interview with EWN on Thursday, saying ANC leaders were afraid to "correct poor decisions" made by Ramaphosa.
“The leadership of the ANC was no longer listening to its party. They were making a lot of decisions that were taking the ANC away from where we needed it to be. They were not correcting anything because they feared this man for a number of reasons,” he said.
Zuma criticised Ramaphosa's way of handling key issues that he said he discussed with him to maintain peace in the ANC after he resigned as head of state in February 2018.
“I told him to report to the national executive committee (NEC) and suggested what I think we can do to not make the organisation fight. But he never came back to me with the NEC's response. He disappeared until later when we had a meeting with the officials.”
The former president said this made him take the decision to never meet the president.
Zuma is leader of the newly formed MK Party which won 14.58% of votes in the recent national elections recently and obtained 58 seats in the National Assembly. He said his intention for starting his own political party was not to fight the ANC or Ramaphosa, but that he was trying to “rescue the ANC”.
“I'm a very sweet person. I'm not fighting Ramaphosa. If I was fighting Ramaphosa he wouldn't be where he is. I have never fought Ramaphosa. I've only criticised where he has done wrong.” Zuma said.
It remains to be seen how the divisions will be resolved as coalition talks continue and what impact this will have on the country.
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
POLL | Is Jacob Zuma selfish for threatening to boycott parliament if his recount demands are not met?
Zuma blue ticks ANC in coalition talks
Without Zuma’s 58 MPs parliament will not collapse
‘We can reject our parliament seats’: Zuma says as MKP wants election results legal contest
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos