Zuma now to lead fight for civil rights in KZN

● Former president Jacob Zuma is now fighting for the civil rights of KwaZulu-Natal citizens.

He is officially the chair of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in KwaZulu-Natal, barely two months after he failed to qualify to stand for national chair of the ANC.

The former ANC president was elected at Sanco’s provincial conference in Durban at the weekend to rowdy applause and singing. The “terminally ill” octogenarian will now lead the provincial structure, which focuses on social issues.

But when did Zuma join Sanco, a civic organisation aligned to the ANC?

According to secretary Thulani Gamede, he has always been a member.

“But he renewed his membership last year around August after he moved his membership from ward 32, eThekwini.”

His Sanco branch is now ward 14 in the Nkandla subregion, also known as the “Msholozi” branch.

The province has no ambition to put Zuma’s name up for national leadership.

“Sanco KZN at the moment will focus more on the challenges facing civil society of KZN. At this stage we are not going to enter in the national conference,” Gamede said.

Delivering the political report, Gamede encouraged members to rebuild structures, revive civil society and strengthen its alliance with Cosatu and the SACP.

“We want ministers to come and account. The provincial legislature provides space for community representatives to sit in committees. We are going to meet the premier and give her names of comrades that will sit in committees — the ones that are important to us, like health.

“In local government it is simple. Community representatives must also sit in committees, so we must give [eThekwini mayor] Mxolisi [Kaunda] — if they have not fired him

— and the municipal manager names to sit in these committees,” said Gamede.

The secretary raised issues affecting black communities, laying the blame on capitalists for exploitation.

“The ones where comrade Cyril is a shareholder, yes those white monopoly capitalists such as mines have destroyed the liberation movement,” he said.

Gamede said that poverty and unemployment had led South Africa to be an “unsafe space”.

“We are saying to the youth, the world is yours as well as ours but in the last analysis it is yours. South Africa’s future belongs to you as the youth of all the alliance.

“You must tell all our young people that our country is still a rich country. The economy does not belong here — yes it is here, but its owners are in the West. They even bought our leaders.”