Dlamini move sends a clear message

Jacob Zuma has always appeared to be our “Teflon President”, because no matter how harsh the criticism of him is, no matter how detailed the evidence of his dodgy conduct, everything just seems to slide off him.

He seems to have packed the ANC, and its national executive committee (NEC), not to mention various arms of government, with supporters who have appeared, almost, to be ready to make any sacrifice for him.

He is also a man to be feared, having run the ANC’s brutal internal security apparatus, Mbokodo.

And, his strongest current loyalists come from the ranks of the ANC’s former armed wing, uMkhonto weSizwe.

At the close of the NEC meeting last weekend, he accused those of wanting him to step down of working for sinister “foreign forces”.

He won the day and a motion of no confidence in him was defeated. After that, many inside and outside the ANC despaired that he would ever go – or that his web of patronage would ever collapse.

However, there is more hope today. And that’s because trade union Cosatu has forced its president, S’Dumo Dlamini, to walk away from Zuma.

The significance of this cannot be underestimated. Dlamini was a key Zuma backer and for him to change his allegiance means Cosatu has sent a clear message to the president that he must go.

Dlamini’s about-face could encourage others to also turn their back on Zuma, which would bolster the campaign of deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma in the ANC’s top job at the party’s December conference.

And that polarisation could result in more intimidation and, even more worryingly, in political violence. We know there is a lot at stake – but this is a time for cool heads.

ALSO READ: 

//

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.