Cyril Ramaphosa bin replace Jacob Zuma as both president and ANC leader in a bitter power struggle
Just six years ago, Jacob Zuma, di 82-year-old former South African president, na politician wey bin no dey active and one brand wey don spoil wen e bin dey forced to resign as president.
But e don make one ogbonge comeback and return to popularity wey many call di ‘Zuma tsunami’.
Despite dis, Zuma still dey controversial as ever. Dis na partly sake of im populist style, but also im alleged corrupt relationship wit members of di wealthy, influential, Indian-born Gupta family.
Di official results of South Africa general election show im recently found uMkhonto weSizwe party, wey dem dey call for short MK, win over 14% of di vote.
Im party bin gain total of 2.3 million votes out of di more dan 16.2 million votes cast, e come third place for back of di centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) and di African National Congress (ANC) wey dey rule.
Many pipo don compare Zuma rise and fall to dat of Donald Trump, wey dis week become di first US president ever to dey convicted of crime.
Three years ago, authorities bin send Zuma to jail afta e dey found for contempt of court sake of e no gree give evidence and testify for one judicial investigation of corruption during im nine-year term as president.
Im arrest for July 2021 bin cause di deadliest riots since South Africa transition to democracy, e bin cause di deaths of more dan 300 pipo.
Celebrity status
Just few weeks ago, e be like Zuma once again dey down on im luck afta e dey legally barred from standing as member of parliament due sake of im criminal conviction.
However, dis setback no stop im party from ogbonge performance for polls. E be like say voters no dey put off as dem see Zuma face for di side symbol of im party for ballot papers.
Wit courage of dis performance, Zuma bin come out wit fight.
“Nobody must declare results, no provoke us, no start trouble,” Zuma bin tok for di eve of di final election result for wetin look like veiled threat wey dey target di kontri Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), afta MK and twenty-five oda opposition parties bin accuse di IEC of vote rigging.
Despite say MK receive di highest number of votes for Zuma home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal and come third nationally, di party claim say di elections no dey free or credible.
Di IEC don strongly deny dis allegations.
Zuma unexpected and dramatic arrival for di elections results centre for Johannesburg on Saturday night - for di eve of di announcement of di official results - bin bring di building to standstill, as if one Amapiano or Afropop Idol dey waka to di stage.
Im comeback don win respect from former allies and even current rivals from di ANC party.
“Jacob Zuma na one force to rate for di South African politics…we neva underestimate am,” ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, as e reflect on im own party weak electoral performance.
ANC ties
Despite im suspension from di ANC, Zuma remain one member of di party wey bring end to apartheid for South Africa.
Wen e bin launch new MK party for December, Zuma declare say e go always be ANC member. But same time, e bin ask ANC supporters to turn away from di party.
Zuma popularity no doubt dey cause sleepless nights for di ANC.
Di ties between di party and Zuma go back to wen e bi one illegal organisation under di segregationist system. Wit no formal schooling and modest upbringing, Zuma anti-apartheid activism bin later see am to jail for ten years on Robben Island along wit Nelson Mandela.
Afta di ban against di ANC dey lifted by di apartheid goment for 1990, Zuma bin return from exile and rise through di political ranks. For 1999 dey appointed deputy president of di kontri.
Im time for office bin end sudenly for 2005 wen Thabo Mbeki bin fire am afta e dey implicated for corruption allegations wey involve arms deal.
Im former financial adviser Shabir Shaik dey found guilty say e dey ask for bribes from one French arms company on im behalf. Later di same year, Zuma imself bin face charges of corruption. Dis one dey dropped andbring back plenti times for middle of claims by Zuma say di allegations na result of one political witch-hunt against am.
For December 2005, Zuma, den 63, chop accuse of rape by di daughter of one party comrade. She be 31-years old dat time and dem force her to hide her identity afta she and her mama dey abused by Zuma supporters.
Thousands of supporters bin mass outside court during Zuma trial for rape. E bin admit say e get unprotected sex wit di HIV positive accuser but say di encounter dey mutual. Di following year, e dey acquitted on all charges.
Zuma ability to connect wit di poor and marginalised for South Africa society na wetin set am apart from most politicians. Im acquittal on rape charges bin lead to one of di most controversial leadership battles for di history of di ANC.
For 2005, one judge bin tok say corruption and racketeering charges against Zuma bin show proof of political influence by former president Thabo Mbeki or im supporters.
ANC bin ask Mbeki to resign as president few days later. Zuma, wey bin remain popular for di party, dey elected ANC president for di party 2007 elective conference for Polokwane.
For 2009, Zuma dey elected President of South Africa. E remain for di role until e dey forced to resign for 2018 afta serious pressure from im own party.
Despite di bitter in-fight wey bin lead to Zuma ousting, for ANC neva rule out one coalition wit di MK party.
“We dey tok to everybodi wey dey prepared to form goment wit us,” ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula tok.
Di MK don tok say e go prepare to go into partnership wit di ANC, but dia support dey conditional on President Cyril Ramaphosa resignation.
Di ANC don tok say dis demand dey out of kwesion. But wetin dey sure be say Zuma go dey remembered as di amateur chess player wey upstage di ANC for di kontri most unpredictable elections.
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