Pretoria - While the EFF will be embarking on a national shutdown on Monday, former president Jacob Zuma’s son will be staging his own protest in Nkandla.
Like the EFF, Zuma jr, clad in full ANC regalia, will be demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa resign and for an end to load shedding.
He has been a fierce critic of Ramaphosa in recent months, following Zuma sr being jailed for defying the Constitutional Court’s order to appear before the Zondo Commission into state capture.
Edward Zuma hogged news headlines in July last year when he said that the police would have to kill him before he would let them arrest his father. However, his father handed himself over to law enforcement and was jailed.
Edward was also vocal about Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm scandal, saying that the president should fully account for the matter.
The scandal involves millions of dollars allegedly hidden in sofas at Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo having been stolen.
Last year, former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a charge with the police against Ramaphosa.
He alleged that Ramaphosa ordered that the suspects, including his domestic worker, be tortured and have the money recovered by the Presidential Protection Unit.
It was also alleged that the crime was concealed, which gave Edward ammunition to speak out. Now, widespread national load shedding has renewed Edward’s calls for Ramaphosa’s resignation.
Speaking exclusively to Pretoria News, he accused Ramaphosa of being complicit in the load-shedding matter, saying the president could end it if he wanted to.
“I decided to do a one-man protest as I feel load shedding should be stopped, and can be stopped if he is willing as the president, but he doesn’t want to, as they are preoccupied with fulfilling the Western power agenda.”
He said that he would be protesting as an ANC member and would be in full party regalia.
He also alleged that there were scores of ANC members who wanted to speak out against Ramaphosa, but were afraid to.
“There are thousands of ANC members who are not happy but are afraid to speak out because of fear of being purged.”
He said anyone could join in the protest if they wanted to, and asserted that the former president, his father, had nothing to do with his protest action because he was not even aware of it.
Asked why he chose the same day as the red berets’ national shutdown, he said they were fighting the same cause.
“Since there will be a shutdown called by the EFF and I’m not an EFF member but share the same views, why not vent it out as an ANC member on the very day as well?” he said.
He further said that the ANC was the only answer to the plight of South Africans.
“But it is the person at the helm (Ramaphosa) that is killing it and driving deliberately towards coalitions that are not healthy for service delivery.”
Efforts to reach presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the EFF has called on those who are unemployed and have had enough of load shedding to join in the national shutdown.
EFF leader Julius Malema said, while addressing the media this week, that the protest was set to happen.
He said there would be pockets of members protesting across the country.
The EFF is calling for the end of load shedding and for Ramaphosa to hand in his resignation as the number one citizen of the country.
Pretoria News