{
  "id": 1416188,
  "title": "‘We have a crook running the country’: Zuma takes brutal swipe at Ramaphosa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/we-have-a-crook-running-the-country-zuma-takes-brutal-swipe-at",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T04:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-08-17-we-have-a-crook-running-the-country-zuma-takes-brutal-swipe-at-ramaphosa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former president Jacob Zuma has harshly criticized South Africa's current leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, during a visit to a church in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Zuma accused Ramaphosa of hiding money and not caring about the struggles faced by ordinary South Africans. The MK Party leader stated that the country currently has a \"crook\" in power, though he did not name Ramaphosa directly. He claimed that Ramaphosa hides money under his bed and does not care about the suffering of the people, including orphans. Zuma vowed that if the MK Party were to come to power, they would change the nation's governance and ensure that no child is left behind in terms of education, even using force if necessary. The president has been under scrutiny recently due to the Phala Phala scandal, which involved the burglary of Ramaphosa's game farm in Limpopo in February 2020, resulting in the theft of around $580,000 (R9,3 million).",
  "summary": "Jacob Zuma's scathing remarks about President Ramaphosa during a church visit in Mthatha raise questions about leadership as the MK Party gears up for local elections.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former President Zuma harshly criticizes President Ramaphosa.",
    "Zuma accuses Ramaphosa of hiding money and neglecting South Africans' struggles.",
    "Zuma vows to change governance if MK Party comes to power."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Zuma's attack on Ramaphosa underscores the deepening divisions within South African politics, with Zuma positioning himself as a champion of the poor and vulnerable against a leader he portrays as corrupt and out of touch.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}