Blade defends Zuma, lashes Mbeki
South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade
Nzimande has defended President Jacob Zuma’s administration, saying “yesterday’s
Aids denialists” should not lecture the governing party on lack of
leadership.
Nzimande has defended President Jacob Zuma’s administration, saying “yesterday’s
Aids denialists” should not lecture the governing party on lack of
leadership.
“None of yesterday’s Aids denialists must come and lecture us today
on leadership when they have not accounted for the hundreds of thousands of
deaths they left behind,” the Sowetan quoted him as saying in Midrand, Gauteng,
yesterday.
on leadership when they have not accounted for the hundreds of thousands of
deaths they left behind,” the Sowetan quoted him as saying in Midrand, Gauteng,
yesterday.
Nzimande said he was “slaughtered” by then president Thabo Mbeki
when he spoke of the need to acknowledge that HIV caused Aids.
when he spoke of the need to acknowledge that HIV caused Aids.
In 2000, Mbeki was criticised for his stance on Aids and was
accused, along with the late health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, of
turning his back on the scientific consensus.
accused, along with the late health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, of
turning his back on the scientific consensus.
Nzimande said Mbeki and Congress of the People president Mosiuoa
Lekota, formerly an ANC cabinet member, had left “a highly questionable
legacy”.
Lekota, formerly an ANC cabinet member, had left “a highly questionable
legacy”.
He said there was a “demonisation” of Zuma as “every Tom, Dick and
Harry including the dead that have woken up from their graves were crying lack
of leadership”.
Harry including the dead that have woken up from their graves were crying lack
of leadership”.
Last week, Mbeki said the ANC’s current leadership was losing its
ability to provide direction to South Africa.
ability to provide direction to South Africa.
“I am deeply troubled by a feeling of great unease that our beloved
motherland is losing its sense of direction, and that we are allowing ourselves
to progress towards a costly disaster,” Mbeki said.
motherland is losing its sense of direction, and that we are allowing ourselves
to progress towards a costly disaster,” Mbeki said.
He was delivering the Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture at the
University of Fort Hare in Eastern Cape.
University of Fort Hare in Eastern Cape.
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