By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has broken his silence on the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, telling an ANC national executive committee (NEC) that the event is a sad moment in the history of the movement.
Before delivering his political overview in the virtual meeting on Friday, the president noted that many people were pained by the decision.
“Regardless of one’s views on the Constitutional Court’s decision and the appropriateness or lack thereof of the sentence, many within our movement and broader society feel this pain,” he said.
Zuma was arrested on Wednesday evening after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt of court for disregarding an order to testify at the State Capture Inquiry, and sentenced him to 15 months behind bars.
He was imprisoned at the Estcourt Correctional Facility and prison officials said he would be treated as an ordinary prisoner.
“As we advance the principled stance of the organisation on our respect for the Constitution and the rule of law, we need to be sensitive to the genuine hurt that many people feel within our movement and outside,” Ramaphosa told the ANC leaders.
He said the party leadership needed to continue efforts to unite and renew the ANC.
Before the ANC meeting, Ramaphosa spoke to KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala and asked for an update on violent protests against Zuma’s imprisonment that ripped through KwaZulu-Natal.
Zikalala have since called for calm and maximum restraint following sporadic protests in various parts of the province on Friday.
KZN Police had their hands full as there were various attempts to block roads and cause disruption.
Police added that about 27 people have so far been arrested across the province for acts of lawlessness following protests in various parts.
The NEC meeting came after the party held a special NEC meeting on Monday where the Constitutional Court judgment and its implications were discussed.