It’s not game over for Zuma just yet, warns analyst
The support of Chris Hani's widow caught many unawares.
South African President Jacob Zuma and Chris Hanis widow Limpho Hani lay wreaths during the memorial service for Chris Hani on the 24th anniversary of his murder at the Thomas Nkobi cemetery in Boksburg, 10 April 2017. Picture: Neil McCartney
It would be a gross miscalculation to suggest it is game over for the under-fire President Jacob Zuma, political analyst Ralph Mathekga said on Monday.
Zuma has been under increasing pressure from different sectors of society, with the ANC alliance partners, including the SA Communist Party (SACP), trade union federation Cosatu, opposition parties, as well as ANC stalwarts, calling for him to resign.
And the pressure on the president increased even more after he announced his Cabinet reshuffle, which saw the axing of then finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
But there have been signs to the contrary as well, and these were in support of Zuma.
At the Chris Hani memorial in Ekurhuleni on Monday, Zuma appeared to be enjoying the support of Limpho Hani (Chris Hani’s widow), who said she refused to play into the hands of those asking “What would Chris say today?”
She also personally thanked Zuma for “being a brother to her” and “a father to her youngest daughter”, who was battling cocaine addiction.
Speaking to The Citizen, Mathekga said while Zuma was without a doubt having a tough time in the wake of growing calls for him to step down, giving up was something far from his mind.
“The president is likely to go into the upcoming ANC elective conference, in December, looking very strong.
“I find it surprising that Limpho [Hani] would choose to take a different view from what the SACP has been calling for in recent times … we don’t know if she is breaking ranks with the SACP or not,” Mathekga said.
Another analyst, Professor Andre Duvenhage, said preaching radical economic and social transformation would form part of an ideology by Zuma to get people’s attention.
“This and other ideologies will be to counter what happened at the funeral of Ahmed Kathrada recently, where leaders such as former president Kgalema Motlanthe read out a quote from a letter by the stalwart calling on Zuma to step down.
“However, with the planned march to the Union Buildings by opposition parties tomorrow, we can expect some fireworks and high levels of mobilisation,” Duvenhage said, referring to the other marches that had taken place.
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