WATCH: TV presenter says ANC, alliance knew all along Zuma was a ‘tsotsi’

The presenter of a kykNET actuality show Verslag in Gesprek and the editor of Afrikaans Sunday paper Rapport, Waldimar Pelser, pulled no punches a week ago when he slammed those in the ANC who rallied behind President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma continues to face huge criticism for firing Pravin Gordhan as finance minister, with the perception that he did so to favour his rich friends, the controversial Gupta family. As a result, the rand fell and S&P and Fitch downgraded the country’s credit ratings to “junk”.

The angry monologue below by Pelser on an actuality program dealing with current affairs on DStv has since been shared widely and viewed nearly 130 000 times on YouTube.

Pelser said he had heard the excuse that the ANC top six must be suffering from Stockholm syndrome as the only explanation for why Gwede Mantashe backtracked on his Zuma criticisms following the ANC’s national working committee meeting.

However, he said saying that would be too kind.

Stockhold syndrome is a psychological affliction in which feelings of trust or affection are felt towards captors by people who have been kidnapped or taken hostage.

Pelser said in Afrikaans: “The optimists say the ANC’s top six are suffering from Stockholm syndrome … what else could explain why precisely the same Gwede Mantashe who last week theatrically declared that Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle was indefensible then went today to defend it?

“The optimists say that the ‘good part’ of the ANC has just become the victim of a kidnapping by an awful old troll they can’t wait to get rid of in the name of Oliver Reginald Tambo.

“The pessimists, perhaps rather the realists, say there is no such thing as a good ANC that is the ‘oh, shame’ victim of the actions of Zuma.

“The realists laugh at struggle heroine Cheryl Carolus, who said Zuma’s actions [this week] were unthinkable a year ago.

“Unthinkable’s foot, Cheryl. It was crystal clear to all of us from day one that [Zuma] is a corrupt, sexist, wily, strategically brilliant villain.

“It just wasn’t clear to you. When you thought he would win elections for you, you all united behind him even though you knew he can’t spell the word ‘constitution’.

“You, the veterans, knew. The SA Communist Party knew. Cosatu knew. Jackson Mthembu knew. Gwede Mantashe knew. Zweli Mkhize knew. Cyril Ramaphosa … he too, knew.

“So stop presenting yourselves as victims. You are culpable.

“And this week, your ridiculous top leaders decided to ‘yes boss’ for the umpteenth time to the aged, cynical political tsotsi in the Union Buildings – because suddenly the answer to the key question was unclear.

“They key question, the only question the ANC has ever cared about was: ‘Which candidate will win us an election?’ It’s not certain now, is it? Because with our junk status president, you are doomed to less than 50% in 2019, and without him you will perhaps get even less, because he will bring the pillars of the dishonourable ANC temple down on top of all of you.

“And we now feel absolutely nothing for your wailing.”