ANC broke its back and defended Zuma in futility, says Mbalula

JOHANNESBURG – After vowing not to say too much about former African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma’s involvement with the Umkhonto Wesizwe, the party’s secretary general spent much of Sunday afternoon bashing him for the many failures during his term in office.

Mbalula was speaking at the cadres’ assembly in Barberton.

The ANC is in Mpumalanga where it’s marking its 112th birthday on Monday, and mobilising supporters for a January 8th rally in Mbombela on Saturday.

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While Mbalula insisted the right time to address Zuma would come – he delivered a blistering rebuke of the leader

During his address Mbalula – who switched between isiXhosa and English - suggested that despite all the ANC’s efforts, Zuma was a leader who simply could not be polished and sanitised.

Mbalula also boldly made this public confession: “In defence of our president, we went to Parliament and opened an ad hoc committee and said a swimming pool is a fire pool.”

He added that he felt sadness when he saw Zuma being jailed back in 2021 and expressed gratitude to Zuma for showing him grace by appointing him as a minister following a bruising ANC conference.

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