‘A very productive engagement’: ANC Women’s League meets Zuma

Former president Jacob Zuma has met with members of the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL). A delegation, led by the league’s president Bathabile Dlamini visited Zuma at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)

“A very productive engagement. Judging from the posture, it appears like it was a tell-it-all from the Union Buildings of Inkandla,” Zuma’s daughter Duduzile said of the meeting on Twitter.

ANCWL members including Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela were also present.

ANC Women’s League visits Zuma – What was the purpose?

The ANC Women’s League has said the meeting with former president Jacob Zuma was aimed at consolidating unity within the governing party. What exactly does that mean? Well, analysts have said that factionalism continues to plague the ANC, despite its constantly recycled “unity” narrative. Like most of Msholozi’s meetings, it isn’t entirely clear what was discussed. Something else to consider is whether they expressed their support for the former president in his stand-off with the State Capture Commission.

The ANCWL was joined by former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni, who had also recently visited Zuma to present him with gifts, as a token of appreciation for him.

The ANCWL has been known to blindly support Zuma, most notably when he was accused of raping Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo in 2005. He was later acquitted and Kuzwayo was forced to flee the country as she was under constant siege by the former president’s supporters.

The former president has undoubtedly been the host with the most recently, having welcomed several people into his Nkandla home, including leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema, Police Minister Bheki Cele, members of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and the Black First Land First (BLF) Movement, led by Andile Mngxitama.

Zuma faces possible jail time for his blatant refusal to appear before the commission. Chairperson Raymond Zondo filed an application with the Constitutional Court, seeking a jail term to be imposed on him. Zuma had defied an order by the Concourt, which compels him to appear and defend himself against countless allegations of corruption.