By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@MasiLosi.
The African National Congress (ANC) has postponed its scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for the weekend amid developments of the situation outside former President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal.
This was announced by the party’s spokesperson Pule Mabe on Friday as scores of the former president’s supporters continue to flock in Nkandla to stand in solidarity with Zuma.
Zuma was earlier this week sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of the Constitutional Court.
“The meeting of the National Executive Committee scheduled for Saturday, 3 – Monday, 5 July 2021 has been postponed,” said Mabe.
“In arriving at this decision the National Officials were mindful of the situation developing in KwaZulu-Natal and the need for ANC to give clear and principled leadership to ensure the maintenance of the rule of law and to avoid any violence, injury, or loss of life.”
Mabe said that the NEC members will be deployed to KZN, and will work with the provincial leadership.
The ANC earlier this week announced that the sentencing of former president Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison marked a difficult time for the party.
The party has also pleaded for calm.
On Friday, dozens of Zuma supporters gathered outside his homestead at Nkandla and in the Durban city center, defying lockdown regulations, to show their support.
It is understood the police in the area were worried about illegal arms being transported around Nkandla and had planned roadblocks in an effort to prevent violence.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal were unavailable for comment on whether they supported the protests against the apex court ruling.