South African former President Jacob Zuma has publicly spoken out for the first time since he was granted medical parole early last month and urged people to go out and vote for the ruling ANC in the upcoming local government elections.
In a video posted online, Zuma said if the South Africans do not vote, they will lose their voice in decision-making.
He encouraged voters to cast their vote for the party of liberation, the ANC.
BREAKING NEWS
H.E President Zuma gives a clear line of march. pic.twitter.com/gSfWjoIcmd— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) October 5, 2021
Zuma, speaking in Zulu on Tuesday, said boycotting the elections was not a solution and that while he was equally unhappy with some issues he was still going to vote.
The plea comes as reports emerge that the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is scrambling to get Zuma on board to help with the election campaign, which is struggling to get off the ground.
Some of the supporters have publicly and repeatedly claimed that the ANC under President Cyril Ramaphosa did not do enough to save Zuma from jail.
“The time to elect our local governments has come and for quite some time I have been picking up that some are saying that for some reasons, they will not vote when the voting takes place.
“That has left me troubled at heart and felt I should add my voice by pleading with those who are saying that to stand up and vote, especially vote for the party that brought freedom, the ANC.
“It is of paramount importance for us to do that (voting for the ANC). Maybe I also have some reservations about certain issues, but I will vote. If we don’t vote we will find ourselves without a voice in the country’s affairs, without any power to change the people’s lives. I am pleading with you to rethink that, please vote,” Zuma said in the video.
