ANC's hypocrisy in condemning Jacob Zuma's controversial stance on Western Sahara

IN A scathing response to comments made by ANC leaders regarding former President Jacob Zuma, the Congress of the People's previous spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, has accused the ruling party of hypocritical behaviour and attempting to shift blame for the country's ongoing issues.

Bloem's remarks came after the ANC's Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, labelled Zuma a “sellout” following the ex-president's endorsement of a controversial autonomy proposal for Morocco concerning Western Sahara.

Bloem expressed disbelief that the ANC had only now recognised what he termed Zuma's “sellout” status after he had presided over the nation for nine turbulent years during his presidency.

“The ANC lied to the people of South Africa when they presented Jacob Zuma as the President of the country,” he said, adding that the damaging effects of this deception are long-lasting.

According to Bloem, it was fundamentally contradictory for the ANC to now denounce Zuma, given their history of defending him fiercely against criticism during his time in office.

“This sudden outburst of the ANC against Jacob Zuma is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he noted, insisting that the party must accept its own share of responsibility in the alleged “mess” that the country finds itself in.

His comments came in the wake of Mbalula's remarks during the ANC’s National Working Committee meeting in the Western Cape, where he condemned Zuma for his support of Morocco on the Western Sahara issue.

Mbalula described it as revealing of Zuma’s character and representative of broader problems within the party.

“Zuma is no messiah; he’s a sellout of note,” Mbalula asserted, suggesting that Zuma's actions were detrimental to the very foundations of the ANC.

Further complicating matters, the former MK Party Secretary General, Floyd Shivambu, labelled the ANC's recognition of Morocco's claims over Western Sahara as opportunistic and contrary to the principles of anti-colonial resistance upheld by many progressive movements across Africa.

Shivambu emphasised the need to respect the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, further questioning the ANC's commitment to its historical positions.

The controversy surrounding the ANC's foreign policy has been magnified by recent incidents, including a trip to Morocco by ANC NEC member Obed Bapela, who faced criticism for appearing to align with Moroccan interests against the party's defined stance on Western Sahara.

As the ANC grapples with internal dissent and public scrutiny, the calls for accountability against Zuma have intensified, combined with a demand for the party to reconcile its past decisions and misleading narratives surrounding its former leader, who now stands at a contentious crossroads in South African politics.

DAILY NEWS