• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

South Africa’s Jacob Zuma: Cows slaughtered for re-election

November 26, 2012 by Admin Leave a Comment

Written by BBC

Jacob Zuma risks being challenged by his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has appealed to his ancestors to help him hold on to the leadership of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Mr Zuma attended a ceremony at his village on Sunday, where 12 cattle were slaughtered and incense burnt as people prayed for his re-election.

His opponents are pushing for him to be ousted as ANC leader at the party’s conference next month. Mr Zuma, a polygamist with 21 children, is a well-known Zulu traditionalist. He beat his predecessor Thabo Mbeki in a bitterly contested election in 2007 for the leadership of the ANC.

Spear and shield

He later forced Mr Mbeki to resign as South Africa’s president, installing Kgalema Motlanthe as caretaker leader until the 2009 general election, when he took power.

The ANC’s influential youth wing and several government ministers are now campaigning for Mr Motlanthe, the deputy president, to run against Mr Zuma at the ANC conference in Mangaung next month.

The Zuma family slaughtered 12 cattle and burnt incense at a traditional ceremony at their village in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal province on Sunday to appeal to the ancestors to guide him ahead of the elections.

“We are here to give our father a send-off to Mangaung. With this ceremony we are now sure he is protected and he will come back to celebrate with us,” Nomthandazo Zuma is quoted by South Africa’s The Mercury newspaper as saying.

Traditional leader Inkosi Bheki Zuma gave the president, who was dressed in leopard skins, a Zulu spear and shield and told him to use the weapons to protect himself from his ANC opponents, the newspaper reports.

Mr Zuma has been dogged by corruption allegations throughout his term, but he is expected to be re-elected as ANC leader, analysts say.

South Africa’s Auditor-General Terence Nombembe and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela are investigating whether taxpayers’ money has been improperly used to upgrade Mr Zuma’s residential complex in Nkandla, reportedly at a cost of about $27m (£17m).

It includes chalets, a security bunker, and bulletproof windows.

Earlier this month, Mr Zuma – who has four wives and 21 children – said he taken out a mortgage to pay for the renovations and he objected to being “convicted, painted black, called the first-class corrupt man, on facts that are not tested”.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped corruption charges against Mr Zuma shortly before his election as president in 2009.

He was accused of taking bribes from an arms company and his financial adviser Schabir Shaik – allegations he strongly denied.

Earlier this year, Mr Zuma’s government unveiled The Traditional Courts Bill which would allow local chiefs to act as judge, prosecutor and mediator, with no legal representation and no right of appeal in certain cases.

It has been widely criticised for being unconstitutional, especially by women’s groups, which argue it would take South Africa “back to the dark ages”.

But Mr Zuma says the legislation will help “solve African problems the African way, not the white man’s way”.

Filed Under: Strategic Research & Analysis

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Tobi Amusan Tears of joy as Nigerian National Anthem plays

July 25, 2022 By AFRIPOL

Venezuela – Nigeria’s future ? (video)

July 25, 2022 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • South Africa: 'Break the Silence on Gender Based Violence' - South African News Briefs - August 10, 2022
    [allAfrica] Cape Town --  
  • Uganda: I Want Museveni to Go Peacefully - Newly Appointed Justice Minister Mao
    [Nile Post] The new minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao has reiterated that the presidential transition and constitutional reforms make up the wider aspect of his duty as he assumes office.
  • Nigeria: Nigeria Arrests Suspects in Catholic Church Massacre
    [Premium Times] No fewer than 40 worshippers were massacred at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, by suspected terrorists on 5 June.
  • Kenya: Kisumu Quietens as Tallying Gets Underway After Election Day Funfair
    [Capital FM] Kisumu -- Kisumu City remained a dull city throughout the night on Tuesday following the closing of polls as election officials begun tallying presidential votes in the 2022 General Election reflecting a drastic change from the excitement reported on Election Day.
  • Angola: How Not to Respond to Drought - Lessons From Angola
    [The Conversation Africa] Three years after a severe drought in southwestern Angola, people in the area continue to suffer. Hunger remains pervasive and they are still losing livestock.
  • Mozambique: Unions Hit Snooze On a National Strike - Why It's a Bad Thing for Workers
    [The Conversation Africa] The surge in food and fuel prices has led to calls for national shutdowns across southern Africa. In Mozambique, trade unions issued a statement denouncing the rising cost of living, inadequate public services, generalised corruption, political patronage in the public sector and lack of compliance with labour protections.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • Nigeria ranked fourth among world top debtors.
  • The Mafia Paradigm
  • Nigerian Diasporas Remit $60.22bn in three years.
  • Dr. Philip Ozuah: Anambra State US-Based Doctor Donates $1m to University of Ibadan
  • Buga’s Kizz Daniel arrested in Tanzania, later released (video)

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2022 · AFRIPOL