WATCH: Some believe this video is evidence Mabuza was part of ‘Cyril plot’ to embarrass Zuma

Top ANC officials have been named in an alleged plot to embarrass former president Jacob Zuma during the gala dinner hosted after the ANC’s manifesto launch in Durban this past weekend.

Africa News 24-7 alleges in a report that Deputy President David Mabuza, President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile all played a part in the supposed plot that saw Zuma end up sitting in another holding room at the venue.

This was allegedly done in an effort to get Zuma to either completely miss the gala dinner or arrive so late that he would not be acknowledged by the speakers at the event. The hope was that Zuma would be viewed as disrespectful as a result.

Lol so Zuma arrived minutes after Ramaphosa arrived at the ANC gala dinner? Nkandla Casanova still thinks he is president of the ANC yazi.

— Zuko Zeka (@zukoZEKA) January 11, 2019

According to Africa News 24-7, an online publication largely in support of Zuma and often allowed greater access to him since his resignation, the president was accompanied by his wife Thobeka Madiba-Zuma to the event.

Journalist Steve Motale reports that Zuma had actually arrived on time and was told by protocol to wait in a holding room where he was to be fetched by Ramaphosa at a later stage.

Ramaphosa never pitched, however, and Zuma and his wife then made their own way to the venue where they arrived after the national anthem had been sung and guests had taken already their seats.

Programme director Fikile Mbalula reportedly then did not even acknowledge Zuma’s presence during his address.

In a video that has been circulating on WhatsApp and made its way to social media, the ANC’s top brass can be seen in another room ahead of the gala.

It’s impossible to substantively say what the video is capturing, leaving its meaning open to interpretation. It could just as easily be completely innocent banter about something else among the ANC’s so-called top six.

The clip begins as ANC chairperson and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe enters the room and greets his comrades.

Mabuza greets Mantashe first and asks him how he is doing, to which Mantashe responds: “Into yakho angiyiqondi kakuhle.” This roughly translates to: “This thing of yours, I don’t fully understand it.”

A surprised Mabuza responds by asking, “Awuyiqondi kakuhle, intoyami? Uzoyiqonda,” which translates to: “You don’t understand this thing of mine? You will understand it.”

Mantashe carries on greeting those in the room, including President Ramaphosa (and he waves a finger at him), ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte and First Lady Tshepo Motsepe, while Mabuza and Mashatile stare at each other.

Mantashe returns to Mabuza, who then asks him: “We Shlalo uthi kwenzenjani?” (Chairperson, what did you say is happening?).

“Lento eniyiplanayo eyizokwenzeke,” (What you are planning will never happen) warns Mantashe.

Mabuza wryly asks, “Eyiphi into esiyi planayo?”(what is it that we are planning?).

https://www.facebook.com/TheCitizenNewsSA/videos/497284504130034/

When asked about the allegation, ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the ANC was not aware of any such plot and “would discourage conspiracy that has no basis and will amount to gossip”.

“When the gala dinner programme started, the former president hadn’t arrived, when acknowledgments were done by programme director. It was agreed that President Ramaphosa will do so in his address, and he did acknowledge [Zuma],” explained Kodwa.

According to Africa News 24-7, Zuma disagreed with this version.

“We were given a particular time to arrive at the venue and we arrived earlier than the time we were given. We were then ushered to a holding room by a lady from protocol who told us to wait until comrade Ramapahosa collects us,” he was quoted as saying.

“We waited for several minutes until we heard the national anthem being sung. Even after the singing of the anthem nobody came to pick us up as promised. The lady from protocol came and she too was surprised that we were still there and nobody had come to pick us up. We then decided to walk to the venue on our own,” Zuma reportedly said.

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