Edward Zuma claims Global Citizen was used to push Ramaphosa

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.

This global citizen event it was a low key ANC rally…Patrice Motsepe doing so much to help his brother in law Cyril petrolhike Ramaphosa wins the elections. #GlobalCitizenFestival

— Simon_Pela (@Simon_Pela) December 2, 2018

The low key campaign is the name of the Ramaphosa game.

I mean Global Citizen was one example.

— Africa Research Desk (@MightiJamie) December 18, 2018

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.

Talk show host, philanthropist and social activist Ms @Oprah Winfrey introduces President @CyrilRamaphosa at the #GlobaCitizenFestivalSA held to honour global icon President @NelsonMandela #Mandela100 pic.twitter.com/uAbaFdMyQU

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 3, 2018

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.”

Global Citizen was an ANC rally in disguise. When @CyrilRamaphosa paid tribute to Mandela, that could plausibly be an international and national gesture By adding in Albertina Sisulu and Winnie Mandela he signalled it was the ANC he was celebrating, and not the country as a whole

— Belinda Bozzoli (@belbozz) December 5, 2018

"Cunningly" disguised ANC rally insults the poor excluded from stadium then allows punters to be assaulted & robbed while the "elite" escape in chauffeured luxury. Rotten ANC.
Big Money flexes Big Muscle at Global Citizen Festival https://t.co/AOxPoFfhJP via @dailymaverick

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Local leaders oppose the registration of foreign-owned spaza shops

— Don Fraser (@donscot23) December 4, 2018

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”.

Me when I realized Global Citizen was the biggest ANC rally pic.twitter.com/FMjODS7dEY

— NIRVANA NOKWE (@nirvananokwe) December 3, 2018

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.

this global citizen thing is an ANC campaign tbh 🤞🏾

— Baitu (@baitumanong_) December 2, 2018

Global citizen concert is more an ANC election campaign than humanitarian event.

— Sydney Pheeha (@Dysney_P) December 2, 2018

Heeee. This global citizen festival is the campaign for anc 2019 ….ke sono bantu

— Tony Thobela (@tthobela57) December 2, 2018

“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.

ANC is stealing that global citizen thing turning it to mini rally

— Evangelist J (@RJmpopo10) December 1, 2018

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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