Cape Town – ANC President Jacob Zuma on Thursday reiterated that he would not resign based on "people with big mouths", saying that even if he were poisoned, he would "not go anywhere".
“Where will I go? I will be with you until my term ends. Even when my term ends, I will remain an ANC member. Even if you poison me, I will not go anywhere,” Zuma said in a candid address to a packed hall of Lwandle residents in Strand.
He laughed as he described how the opposition had tried to get rid of him with motions of no confidence and impeachment.
People had pleaded with him to resign, Zuma said.
“No one could come with anything tangible or wrong that I had done,” he said.
Dressed in a smart suit, and in good spirits, he said he did not understand how the Democratic Alliance had won control of the province. “But then you can’t explain how witches do their business.” He had been certain the ANC would take the province over. He did not know what went wrong.
Zuma weaved a history of the ANC, saying that the party liberated people in difficult and dangerous times. He also touched on his plans after retirement, promising he would relocate to the Western Cape after his term ended. 'People aren't free' “If we take over the Western Cape, I will drive all my cattle from Nkandla and walk to Cape Town and we will have meat,” he said to laughter and cheers.
Residents had waited since 10:00 for Zuma to arrive. He had been due to visit the area in August but cancelled to address a march outside Parliament. He eventually arrived late on Thursday afternoon.
People packed the community hall in anticipation for his return, singing out his name and dancing in a circle. Their joy was offset by the concerns that many residents expressed to News24 earlier in the day.
Many spoke about the dire living conditions. Their shacks often flooded and they could do little to escape the cold water and dirt around their ankles. Zuma, addressing the crowd in a mix of Xhosa and Zulu, said residents of poor areas in the Western Cape were still living in dire conditions and that it was a disgrace that people were still living this way after 23 years.
He told residents that he would be taking further steps. The human settlements minister should visit the area and speak with those who were affected, he said. Zuma said he realised the province was a different place. If someone lived in Rondebosch, they could be overseas. When looking at places like Lwandle, one realised that there were still inequalities and people were not free, he said.
Zuma arrives in Lwandle where he conducted a brief visit to a local residence. (Aletta Harrison, News24)
