ORGANISERS of the thanksgiving event being planned on behalf of former president Jacob Zuma have asked his supporters to come bearing gifts, but they will have to organise their own transport to Nkandla.
A flyer has been circulating on social media stating that there would be a gathering at Zuma’s Nkandla homestead on Wednesday, December 22 and that it would be a “thanksgiving journey to Nkandla appreciating Msholozi (Zuma’s clan name) for the nine wonderful and most progressive years in the history of our democracy”.
A response from the WhatsApp number on the invitation asks “comrades” to organise their transport and bring gifts as part of appreciation and thanksgiving.
Organisers state that well-wishers will meet at the ex-head of state’s Nkandla homestead at 1pm on Wednesday.
Mzwanele Manyi, the spokesperson for the JG Zuma Foundation, referred enquiries back to the organisers.
The thanksgiving and appreciation event comes as the North Gauteng High Court prepares to hear arguments in Zuma’s appeal of Judge Keoagile Matojane’s ruling returning him to prison after declaring his medical parole, granted in September, unlawful.
This past weekend Judge Matojane informed the parties involved in the matter that he would listen to arguments on Tuesday.
Zuma’s foundation said despite serious issues with the availability of his legal team but in the interests of the country, all efforts have been made to honour the date proposed by Judge Matojane.
On Sunday, ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said the governing party would engage with its KwaZulu-Natal leadership, which decided to be part of Zuma’s appeal.
”Arrangements are being made for us to discuss with them and to urge them to leave the processes to unfold,” he said.
Mashatile said the ANC cared about Zuma and the matter should be left to the party to be dealt with.
After the ruling, last Wednesday, the ANC’s ally, the SACP, reaffirmed its commitment to the supremacy of the country’s hard-won Constitution and rule of law including the principle that all shall be equal before the law, that no person shall be above the law.
In July, thousands of Zuma’s supporters converged near his KwaDakwadunuse homestead to support the former president after he had been committed to a 15-month jail term by the Constitutional Court for contempt of its order compelling him to give evidence at the commission of inquiry into state capture.
Political Bureau