Mbalula slams Zuma at May Day rally

Mbalula slams Zuma at May Day rally

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Wednesday lashed out at former president Jacob Zuma, saying he was asked to resign as the party could not keep a president who was facing corruption charges.

Cosatu, the ANC, SACP and other alliance partners commemorated Workers’ Day at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban in front of thousands of supporters on Wednesday.

Mbalula said that while there were many political parties in the country, the only one they had an issue with was uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

“We have done so much for that man. We helped him in many ways. Now he is not speaking the whole truth because he is saying he does not know why he was recalled,” Mbalula said.

Zuma resigned in 2019 after intense pressure from the ANC but said he disagreed with his party’s decision.

On December 16, Zuma announced that he would no longer campaign or vote for the ANC and instead he endorsed the MKP.

Mbalula said the ANC told Zuma that they were helping him by recalling him.

“He was a president for many years and today he is making so many promises, but why didn’t he do things when he was the president?

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula dance on stage during the May Day rally at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers

“He gave the country to the Guptas, he gave them Eskom but we defended him and we did not wrong him.”

He also made reference to the March 16 microphone-grabbing incident between the traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, and ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma.

Duma took the microphone away from Buthelezi, who was introducing Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini at an event to commemorate King Dinuzulu KaCetshwayo.

“I want to say that the ANC respects traditional leadership. Do you hear me, workers? We respect amakhosi and we support them.

“Here in KZN we respect the Zulu king and we support him and we do not want politics meddling in traditional leadership.”

He said the party was not taking sides in issues of traditional leadership.

Cosatu general secretary Solly Phetoe said the union would work with the SACP, ANC and the SACP alliance partners to defend democracy.

He told Mbalula that Cosatu wanted certain public holidays – including May Day, the day of elections and Freedom Day – to be declared non-trading holidays.

“We want NHI (National Health Insurance), there must be no negotiations regarding NHI and we want this implemented after the elections.”

Speaking at the May Day rally in Cape Town, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC had done a lot to advance the rights of workers.

“As we go to the polls, therefore, I want to rally workers to be active volunteers of the ANC, to go out and make sure that we achieve this decisive victory that awaits us because on May 29 the ANC and for those, who think the ANC will not emerge victorious, the ANC will emerge victorious,” he said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is flanked by Cosatu president Zingisa Losi and SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila during a Workers’ Day rally at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers

Political parties held May Day rallies across the country with weeks left before the May 29 elections.

DA leader John Steenhuisen, speaking in Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, said according to the expanded unemployment rate, over 11.7 million people now could not find work in South Africa.

“We will give unemployed youth a leg up in the labour market through a Youth Employment Opportunity Certificate, which will allow holders of this certificate to choose to opt out of laws that consign them to the R0 minimum wage created by the unholy alliance,” Steenhuisen said.

EFF leader Julius Malema, speaking in Pretoria, said his party would ensure the minimum wage increased.

“No worker must earn less than R7500 if you are the lowest earning worker because that is the only way to fight the high and costly standard of living in South Africa,” Malema said.

The Mercury