DID ZUMA CAMPAIGN FOR AN INTERRUPTION OF RAMAPHOSA'S SPEECH AT NASREC?

Speaking at an engagement in KwaZulu-Natal last week, former president Jacob Zuma seemed to ask supporters to heckle current ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.

55th ANC National Elective Conference Day 1, Jacob Zuma looking mischievous. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News

Clement Manyathela & Nhlanhla Mabaso | 16 December 2022 20:20

SOWETO - Former African National Congress president Jacob Zuma arrived at the party’s national elective conference on Friday just as party president Cyril Ramaphosa took to the podium.

Accompanied by his daughter, Duduzile Zuma, his entranced caused some disruption as some KwaZulu-Natal delegates started chanting the famous Wenzeni uZuma?

Ramaphosa had to pause before starting his address as they continued to sing over him.

Zuma previously indicated that he would attend the ANC’s 55th conference with the aim of, he said, holding party leadership accountable.

The disruption Ramaphosa’s address came as no surprise to many.

He already received a similar reaction from ANC members in KwaZulu-Natal who heckled and booed him earlier this year when he addressed the provincial conference.

Some of those delegates - loyal to the former president - are at national elective conference. But Zuma effectively campaigned for the ANC president’s address to be disrupted.

Speaking in Mandeni in KwaZulu-Natal last week, he told party branches not to allow the outgoing president to address the conference.

The former president said: “As delegates you will go there and listen to him deliver the organisational report? We as branches will allow a person who has admitted to buying that position to address us? You can't just keep quiet under such scandalous things. If you have not spoken to your branches, hurry before they go to conference and give them a mandate”.

The disruption of the president’s address will no doubt set the stage for what will be a tense five days.