It’s Zuma’s shop, and he will run it the way he wants
In Jacob Zuma’s latest purge and reshuffle of his uMkhonto Wesizwe party, Duduzane Zuma, the twin of sacked Duduzile Zuma, has been appointed first deputy president. A boy with a taste for the good life, Duduzane’s politics are more barren than his sister’s. In his early adult life he was donated to the Gupta family by his father as part of the State Capture package deal. The Guptas made him…
The recent purge and reshuffle within Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party saw Duduzane Zuma, the son of Zuma and the twin brother of Duduzile Zuma, appointed as the first deputy president. Duduzane, known for his affinity for luxury living, has always had a more pragmatic approach to politics compared to his sister. Born into the Gupta family's state capture package, Duduzane amassed his wealth artificially.
On the day of Zuma's announcement, a video surfaced of him warning against any elected officials, stating, "I did say from the beginning that I do not want any people to be elected because it is a problem." This statement came amidst a meeting attended by recent eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, hinting at its recentness.
Zuma's rationale for bypassing the traditional election process for party positions was to avoid potential problems and maintain control, stating, "I wanted to do this alone and [be able to] say 'you and you and you', based on my knowledge of them." The reshuffle was part of the local government elections nominations process and followed the contentious elections for councillor and mayoral positions.
Despite initially lacking a constitution, MK party members resented Cyril Ramaphosa and sought to punish the ANC, leading to the hurried adoption of a constitution that granted the president ultimate power to make decisions. This power was soon abused, with Zuma bypassing the usual disciplinary procedures and removing his daughter's protégé, Floyd Shivambu, from the party.
Duduzane's elevation to the first deputy presidency came after the expulsion of his sister, Duduzile, due to her reckless behavior, which alienated many within the party. While Zuma has always been comfortable with Duduzane's role, the elevated power granted to him has raised eyebrows within the party.
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