Zuma a symbol of ANC disunity – analyst

On Tuesday, Zuma failed to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court for his corruption case. This led to Judge Dhaya Pillay issuing a warrant of an arrest for the former president.

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The warrant will take effect should Zuma fail to appear in court on May 6.

The issuing of the warrant has seen some senior leaders in the ANC, such as Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina, MK Vets spokesperson Carl Niehaus and ANC Women’s League President Bathabile Dlamini expressing support for the former president.

Masina took to Twitter to express his willingness to go to jail for Zuma, since he is sick and receiving medical attention in Cuba.

Political analyst Percy Mthombeni says that the ruling brought the factionalism in the ANC to the fore.

“All these political rhetoric, different factions within the ANC are now coming out openly clear and declaring their support for Jacob Zuma.

“Once again, the name of Jacob Zuma is at the center of the decision that is playing itself out of the ANC, because you have those that have been supporting him and those not supporting him, saying that law must take its course,” says Mthombeni.

Dlamini also released a statement saying that the warrant of arrest “is nothing but a symptom of how blacks and black African lives are disregarded, and treated with disdain”.

Mthombeni says that some within ANC could use the upcoming National General Council to try and get rid of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“They are using the name of Jacob Zuma to attack the leadership of Ramaphosa and most likely to increase in June, or very soon, to review policies for a general council and some of these battles as proxy to push him out.

He add: “The biggest challenge of the ANC is to present unity, a united front, but suddenly it doesn’t have a buy-in from the factions. Going into the elections, they are most likely to lose elections in municipalities.”

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