Kaunda Selisho

By Kaunda Selisho

Journalist


Edward Zuma claims Global Citizen was used to push Ramaphosa

Citizens also took to social media to dub the event a rally or a campaign of sorts.


Edward Zuma is trending after reportedly echoing a sentiment many had after watching or attending December’s Global Citizen Festival which saw a mix of activists, celebrities, and political icons take to the stage in an effort to raise funds to fight poverty in an effort to honour Nelson Mandela’s memory in the year of his centenary.

Citizens took to social media to dub the event a rally or a campaign of sorts, especially after Patrice Motsepe announced the funds he had pledged towards the cause of land expropriation.

Times Live reports that Zuma has distributed an open letter via Whatsapp in which he lambastes Oprah Winfrey and various other celebrities for their “support” of Cyril Ramaphosa at the Global Citizen concert.

This after Winfrey dubbed Ramaphosa Mandela’s preferred successor in her introduction of him at the concert after she wrapped up her keynote address.

Zuma in the letter stated: “In her introduction, Oprah introduced Cyril Ramaphosa as the man president Mandela preferred as his successor. Oprah and those who were feeding her the narrative forgot one thing, the ANC is a democratic organisation and with its internal process, where the branches of the ANC play a critical role.”

Zuma went on to add that “the ANC never operates on the wishes of individual leaders, but on the resolutions of its conferences and constitutional structures”.

https://twitter.com/Neo_url/status/1069477751973969923

Zuma went on to compare his perceived veiled support of Ramaphosa to the support Hillary Clinton received from numerous celebrities during her 2016 US presidential campaign.

“It was clear in the Global Citizen Concert that Oprah and the celebrities who were there were only endorsing CR and not the ANC. The New Dawn Political Party was being launched and endorsed at the back of ANC history and sentiments,” added Zuma.

Zuma has been relatively quiet after reportedly failing to settle his hate speech fine.

In 2018 the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) was granted an order interdicting and restraining Zuma from “publishing, propagating, advocating, or communicating hate speech”, following statements he made in 2017.

In an open letter distributed in July last year, Edward hit out at recently fired ministers Derek Hanekom and Pravin Gordhan, calling both sell-outs and supporters of white monopoly capital.

Edward was ordered to issue a written, unconditional apology to all South Africans and for the R60,000 fine to be split between Umthombo Secondary School and Ohlange High School in Inanda, Durban.

The fine would be paid in instalments of R10,000 per month, with the first instalment due to Umthombo on or before June 30, 2018, with consecutive payments thereafter until the amount was paid in full.

The SAHRC later had to approach the court to obtain a warrant of arrest for Zuma after he failed to pay the fine in full.

READ NEXT: Edward Zuma MIA after failing to settle hate speech fine

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