Jacob Zuma's unexpected absence leaves supporters puzzled at his birthday celebration

JACOB Zuma was a no-show without an apology at his birthday celebration rally held in Eshowe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, leaving some of the leaders confused about his absence. 

It was expected that Zuma would be a main speaker at the event held at Eshowe Oval Sport Ground in the King Cetshwayo Region on Saturday. 

However, when the programme started at about 2pm, much later than the scheduled 11am start, Zuma had still not arrived.     

This was even though a few hours before the event started, there were announcements that motorists should move their vehicles from behind the stage to open a parking space for Zuma’s motorcade.

One person even said Zuma’s protectors would be displeased to find cars allocated for him to park.

When asked about Zuma’s no-show, party provincial deputy organiser Reggie Ngcobo, who was the master of ceremony, said Zuma was not coming. 

“I don’t know why because we have not been informed, but there was an indication that he is coming. It might happen that there was a problem that stopped him from coming.

“I will check with the national organiser because he was also expecting him to come and we were expecting him to come,” said Ngcobo.

Ngcobo said that in the morning, security personnel, including K9 and the bomb squad, came to inspect the security of the venue.   

Another senior MKP said the members of the police asked for a report and paper that proved the safety of the venue. 

“He is officially deployed (to the venue) because the whole leadership of the MKP High Command had programmes in all provinces, and he was deployed to come here. We are yet to hear what happened,” said Ngcobo.

Despite his absence, Zuma's birthday celebration, which was attended by fewer MKP supporters than expected, went ahead as planned. 

A green birthday cake, which represented the colours of the party, was placed on the stage. 

As the main speaker in the Zuma’s absence, MKP provincial convenor Willies Mchunu praised the former state president as the professor, genius and intellectual.

“Our president is the intellectual of MKP and South Africa and all those who dislike him will one day like him. 

“Our commander-general Mhlanganyelwa Gedleyihlekisa Jacob Zuma is genius, the political genius and is the political professor,” said Mchunu.

He said Zuma was trained by the likes of late Natal Midlands ANC leader Harry Gwala and late general secretary of the South African Communist Party Moses Mabhida for the struggle against apartheid. 

“The struggle for the liberation of the black person is the only thing he knows,” he said.

During the struggle, Zuma spent 10 years at Robben Island, along with other struggle veterans such as Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. 

“Nxamalala is one political prisoner who spent the entire 10 years without receiving any visits. 

“The history says, when his mother was raising money to visit him, Nxamalala wrote her a letter, which read: ‘Mother I joined the struggle knowing the challenges of the struggle and imprisonment was one of them. 

‘Don’t use the money to visit me; instead, use that money to raise and pay for the education of my siblings'. 

Few heroes like him exist,” said Mchunu.

Mchunu, who was once incarcerated at the Eshowe Correctional Centre, said there is nothing nice about being in jail. 

“But instead of allowing his mother to spend money visiting him, he saw it better that the money be spent on the upbringing of his siblings. This is heroism,” said Mchunu. 

He said Zuma was hated by certain people in exile who are still in leadership positions because he uncovered that they were working underground for the apartheid system. 

“They are still with us and are making sure that he lives a difficult life,” he said.

However, he said Zuma’s biggest enemy was the country’s justice system.

“The South African court never liked Nxamalala,” he said.

He said that the former Zuma financial advisor Schabir Shaik was prosecuted and convicted for his crimes, but some judges called for Zuma to be also prosecuted.

He also counted a long list of other instances where Zuma was implicated in criminal activities.    

“The way some people hate Zuma, if he had committed any crime, he would have been imprisoned a long time ago, but the fact that he was never convicted means that he is innocent,” said Mchunu. 

 bongani.hans@inl.co.za