Ramaphosa involved Zuma to stop planned Moses Mabhida disruptions – report

The unified front shown by President Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Jacob Zuma in the week leading up to the launch of their new election manifesto was part of the president and his advisors’ attempts to stop Zuma loyalists from going through with planned disruptions to the ANC’s events, The Sunday Times has reported.

Senior ANC leaders with Ramaphosa’s interests at heart managed to convince regional KwaZulu-Natal leaders not to go ahead with planned disruptions after two weeks of talks.

The prominent involvement of Zuma in the week’s campaigning was part of the strategy that led to the Ramaphosa camp managing to thwart these embarrassing disruptions, the publication reports.

WATCH: Crowd at ANC manifesto launch goes crazy for Zuma

It was reported last week that ANC Youth League (ANCYL) chairperson Kwazi Mshengu had let slip, at a rally to honour former ANCYL leader Peter Mokaba, that the “enemy” had wanted the organisation to boo Ramaphosa at Saturday’s Moses Mabhida rally.

“The enemy wants us to boo you Mr President. We will never do that. There will be no member who will disrupt that programme,” Mshengu said.

Mshengu told The Sunday Times that the enemy he was referring to is an alliance of Zuma loyalists including the Mazibuye African Congress (MAC) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), which recently announced Afrotone Media Holidings owner Mzwanele Manyi as its new head of policy and strategy.

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu admitted to having been in KwaZulu-Natal since January 4 in an attempt to help neutralise a potential embarrassing situation caused by Zuma loyalists. He said Moses Mabhida, where the rally took place and Harry Gwala were the two regions he was most worried about.

READ MORE: Crowd chants ‘Zuma, Zuma’ after Ramaphosa speech

The ANC’s launch of their new election manifesto, which doubled up as a celebration of the party’s 107th birthday, took place yesterday and saw supporters fill the 85000 seater stadium to capacity. Ramaphosa did not face any obvious hostility at the event, although The Citizen reported yesterday that Zuma, rather than the current president, had been the darling of the crowd.

Rather than fight Zuma’s popularity in his home province, Ramaphosa appears to be attempting to use it to his advantage. He has praised the president and expressed a commitment to working together.

City Press, meanwhile, has reported that Ramaphosa is trying to find ways to utilise Zuma as an advisor in recognition of his enduring popularity. The publication reports that an elders council for veterans including Zuma is an option, as is the deployment of Zuma on diplomatic missions.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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