By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former president Jacob Zuma has met with members of the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL). A delegation, led by the league’s president Bathabile Dlamini visited Zuma at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Zuma did not mince his words during the latest tea party at his Nkandla homestead, slamming the ANC government for continued nationwide student protests which saw the fatal shooting of a bystander, Mthokozisi Ntumba.
Zuma, who declared free education for all in December 2017, despite a finding by the Heher Commission that universal free tertiary education was not feasible, said that students were demanding what was rightfully theirs.
“It’s not a small feat that students fight for the right thing and they get shot at. How do you explain this to people?
“We, the ANC government, shoot a child because it says we must implement the policy of the ANC, shoot him dead, dead,” he said.
He said his announcement was in line with policy decisions of the party and the Freedom Charter.
The former president was addressing a delegation of the ANC Women’s League on Friday, led by its president Bathabile Dlamini, one of his strong allies.
ANCWL delegation that visited Zuma included its secretary-general Meokgo Matuba, KZN provincial chair Nonhlanhla Khoza, Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela, and former South African Airways chair Dudu Myeni.
The league had earlier said the purpose of its visit was to consolidate unity within the party. But Zuma used the occasion to launch a scathing attack against higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande.
In a video leaked Zuma said, “Ngicela nitshene lensizwa yakwa Nzimande ucomrade ukuthi akangakwenzi lokhu akwenzayo ngoba kufana nokuthi uqhubela ukuthi siloqhu siqhubuluzana, sithukama …” he said, which loosely translates to: “Please tell comrade Nzimande to stop what he is doing, it’s like he wants us to be fighting and insulting each other …”
“I thought he is an ANC member. The ANC’s policy of freedom charter states that there must be free education. Where does he get the audacity to dispute the ANC because we made a collective agreement, where was he?
“I would understand if he was criticising the ANC and not me,” said Zuma.
This after Nzimade told parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) that Zuma’s announcement on free education had undermined the work of the Heher Commission, exposed NSFAS weaknesses and increased the number of beneficiaries.
Also this week, NSFAS received a R6 billion injection to fund students for the financial year after the Budget Speech had announced a substantial cut for the year.
The former president also attacked Nzimande in this capacity as general secretary of the SACP.
“The worst part is that he is the general secretary of a party, that is fighting for socialism so that poor people can live.
I want you to help me and tell him to do his job and leave me alone. I don’t want to be disrespectful of him and remind him of who he really is. I am sending a message through you, that he must leave me alone. He must stop provoking me.”
The former president told the league that his decision to defy the Constitutional Court’s order to appear before the state capture inquiry was as a result of its chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.
The commission wants Zuma to be jailed for two years for being in contempt of court for defying a Constitutional Court order compelling him to appear before the inquiry in February.
This week,Zuma missed the deadline to file an answering affidavit to the commission’s application and the case is set to be heard on 25 March.