Watch| ANC KZN Demand To Know ‘What Wrong Has Zuma Done’ Through Revolutionary Song
Former President Jacob Zuma’s loyalists crept out of the shadows to join delegates at the ninth provincial elective conference in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, singing, “Wenzeni uZuma?” (What did Zuma do?)
More than 1,600 delegates expressed their dissatisfaction with Zuma’s incarceration in songs when the conference began six hours later than scheduled at the Olive Convention Centre.
Following special messages from the province’s alliance partners, the SACP and Cosatu, provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli requested that delegates usher acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile to the podium with a “revolutionary song.”
While some delegates began singing a song commemorating Solomon Mahlangu’s life, others burst into song, singing: : “Awusitshele wenzeni uZuma? Wena ulawulwa ipropaganda (Tell us what Zuma has done? You are governed by propaganda) ”
Mashatile attempted to gain control of the situation by yelling “amandla!” but the delegates persisted. During this time, Zikalala and Ntuli were seen talking to each other, but it was unclear what they were talking about.
The delegates continued to sing and clap loudly, but the NEC members in attendance did not.
#ANCKZN: Delegates attending the 9th Provincial Conference in KZN have demanded to know: “Wenzeni UZuma…” @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/R0HVr7W7F8
— Amanda Khoza – The Journalist (@MandaKhoza) July 22, 2022
Responding to the song during a press briefing later, Zikalala said this has been a song that the province has been singing for a long time.
“In the context of today, I think firstly, there is no one who was on stage who is in charge of the propaganda machinery. So it was not directed to anyone, but we cannot also hide the fact that there is pain in the membership of the ANC and generally in the society about how the former president was treated.”
MUST WATCH: #ANCKZN: ANC provincial chair Sihle Zikalala responds to the “Wenzeni uZuma…” song saying many ANC members and communities are still at pain about the manner in which former president Jacob Zuma was treated when he was arrested. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/pHVe2MKhHY
— Amanda Khoza – The Journalist (@MandaKhoza) July 22, 2022
Zikalala was referring to Zuma’s arrest for contempt of court in July 2021. “If you can go to a rural area to do door-to-door campaign, an elderly woman in the deep rural areas will say to you, ‘I don’t really care what you say but why would you arrest an 80 year-old, an elderly man?’ Others will say, ‘Why did you not allow him to retire?’”
