Pretoria - Outgoing KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala has denied assertions that he betrayed former president Jacob Zuma to become the province’s first citizen. He called the assertions a myth peddled by people in the organisation to dent and undermine his leadership.
Zikalala, who informed ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo on Thursday of his resignation, also said he was one ANC official who supported Zuma in his face-off with the law.
The assertions come after Zikalala’s humbling defeat at the party’s provincial conference by former ANC Youth League official Siboniso Duma, who is now chairperson of the province. The party has since announced that Zikalala would be replaced by Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who has been a member of the executive committee in various portfolios in the province. She will be the first female premier, if elected by the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
Zikalala, speaking during a television interview, said leading up to the provincial conference there were views mobilised against him by some members of the party, that he had dumped Zuma after he resigned as president in February 2018 following pressure from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s camp. At the time, Zikalala said the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal would no longer support Zuma in his brushes with the law.
Zikalala was also accused of failing to support Zuma when he was jailed for contempt of court in June last year. Zuma’s arrest was followed by violent unrest that led to the death of more than 400 people and widespread looting in the province, in protest.
Zikalala denied these assertions, saying he had been in Zuma’s corner since 2005.
He said he and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula had supported Zuma when there were criminal charges against him when Zuma was still deputy president.
“To have people peddling lies and saying that I betrayed Zuma is discouraging, and I say that there were people who formulated that theory so they would dent and undermine our leadership.
“This then escalated to be a view even in society, and began to plant a feeling that we are not trusted, and because of that I realised that the environment was not going to be good and conducive to continue leading. When the NEC said that no one in the ANC should support Zuma in the name of the party, we accepted that decision. But we said we would support him in our own capacity as individuals,” said Zikalala.
He vowed that he was in the process of arranging a meeting with Zuma soon after his resignation, and being booted out as chairperson of the ANC in the province.
“I will be going to meet the former president (Zuma) soon. We have not arranged a date yet, but we will know that date soon. There is no problem between myself and Nxamalala (Zuma’s clan name).”
Pretoria News