(NEWZIMBABWE) Zuma red-faced after 'Africans backward' gaffe
22/10/2013 00:00:00
by Agencies
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma was on Tuesday left red-faced following a public backlash at comments labelling nearby Malawi as backward.
While trying to convince motorists to accept a controversial plan to toll highways in and around Johannesburg, Zuma yesterday said South Africans need to stop thinking like "Africans in Africa, generally."
"We can’t think like Africans, in Africa, generally. We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It's not some national road in Malawi," Zuma said during the ruling ANC party public forum last evening.
His comments went viral on social media, with the opposition party calling him to retract them.
Zuma’s office scrambled to correct the diplomatic gaffe today, saying media quoted him out of context.
"The remarks were made in the broader context of South Africa achieving more in the past 19 years of freedom and democracy," said his spokesman Mac Maharaj.
He said Zuma was trying to justify the sophisticated road system in the country's economic hub, saying the roads were better than those of other small towns.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance said "the president should rather take a leaf out of the books of other African economies that are actually growing faster than us."
South Africa's government has been struggling to enforce a controversial tolling system on roads between Johannesburg and Pretoria, amid strong public opposition.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, JACOB ZUMA, MAC MAHARAJ, NEOLIBERALISM, SOUTH AFRICA, TOLL ROADS
Read more...
(NEWZIMBABWE, SAPA) SA: Zulu remarks ‘unfortunate and unauthorised’
21/07/2013 00:00:00
by SAPA
RECENT comments made by members of President Zuma's technical team on the situation in Zimbabwe were "unfortunate", President Jacob Zuma’s office said on Sunday.
"The Presidency has noted with great concern, recent unfortunate statements made on the situation in Zimbabwe," Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.
Maharaj said the comments were attributed to a team member supporting Zuma in his role as a facilitator, with South Africa appointed by Southern African Development Community (SADC) to offer assistance to help Zimbabwe's political parties resolve their differences.
Zuma's team comprised of Mozambique high commissioner Charles Nqakula as its head, Maharaj, and Lindiwe Zulu, international relations advisor to the president.
The AFP news agency reported on Friday that Zulu had said there were challenges leading up to the July 31 elections in Zimbabwe, following problems with early voting.
Reportedly thousands of Zimbabwean security forces could not make their mark in early voting with polling stations opening late, and lacking indelible ink, stamps, voter rolls, ballot papers, and boxes.
"If things didn't go right in the special vote, those things need to be looked into by the time of elections on July 31," Zulu said.
Maharaj said the technical team supported Zuma in his role as facilitator, could not impose its views on Zimbabwe, nor make public pronouncements.
"Only President Zuma has the mandate to speak on Zimbabwe on behalf of SADC on facilitation issues," Maharaj said.
"A number of statements have been made during the facilitation process which have been unauthorised and which are regrettable and unfortunate. Some of the utterances have also been inaccurate."
The presidency said reports stating Zuma had telephoned Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to express his unhappiness about election preparations were incorrect.
"No such telephone call has been made," said Maharaj.
Zuma had also been alerted to "inappropriate postings" in social media on the situation in Zimbabwe.
"South Africa remains fully committed to the warm historical relations with the Republic of Zimbabwe and wishes the people of Zimbabwe well as they prepare for the elections," said Maharaj.
Labels: JACOB ZUMA, LINDIWE ZULU, MAC MAHARAJ, ROBERT MUGABE
Read more...
(TALKZIMBABWE) Lindiwe Zulu jumped gun on Zimbabwe: SA Presidency
This article was written by Our reporter on 21 July, at 20 : 07 PM
Recent comments made by members of President Jacob Zuma’s technical team on the situation in Zimbabwe were “unfortunate”, the South African presidency said on Sunday.
This follows a call by President Mugabe on Friday to rein in President Zuma’s adviser Lindiwe Zulu to stop comments on Zimbabwe as she was not mandated to do so. Only President Zuma is mandated by Sadc to facilitate the process in Zimbabwe.
“The Presidency has noted with great concern, recent unfortunate statements made on the situation in Zimbabwe,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in a statement.
Maharaj said the comments were attributed to a team member supporting Zuma in his role as a facilitator, with South Africa appointed by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to offer assistance to help Zimbabwe’s political parties resolve their differences.
Zuma’s team comprised of Mozambique high commissioner Charles Nqakula as its head, Maharaj, and Lindiwe Zulu, international relations advisor to the president.
The AFP news agency reported on Friday that Zulu had said there were challenges leading up to the 31 July elections in Zimbabwe, following problems with early voting.
Some Zimbabwean security forces could not vote in a Special Vote process in early voting as there were challenges dealing with challenges filed by the MDC parties over nominations for aspiring MPs.
“If things didn’t go right in the special vote, those things need to be looked into by the time of elections on July 31,” Zulu said.
Maharaj said the technical team supported Zuma in his role as facilitator, could not impose its views on Zimbabwe, nor make public pronouncements. “Only President Zuma has the mandate to speak on Zimbabwe on behalf of SADC on facilitation issues,” Maharaj said.
“A number of statements have been made during the facilitation process which have been unauthorised and which are regrettable and unfortunate. Some of the utterances have also been inaccurate.”
The presidency said reports stating Zuma had telephoned Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to express his unhappiness about election preparations were incorrect. “No such telephone call has been made,” said Maharaj.
Zuma had also been alerted to “inappropriate postings” in social media on the situation in Zimbabwe. “South Africa remains fully committed to the warm historical relations with the Republic of Zimbabwe and wishes the people of Zimbabwe well as they prepare for the elections,” said Maharaj.
Labels: ANC, JACOB ZUMA, LINDIWE ZULU, MAC MAHARAJ, SADC
Read more...
Malema condemns Zuma's absence at Youth Day rally
20 Jun 2012 08:12 - Sapa
Expelled ANCYL leader Julius Malema claims President Jacob Zuma undermined the youth by attending a G20 summit instead of joining a Youth Day rally. Expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. (M&G)
“President Zuma undermines the youth of South Africa,” Malema said in North West province on Tuesday, according to an SABC report. “How can he leave June 16 [Youth Day]?,” asked Malema.
Zuma’s spokeperson, Mac Maharaj, said the president’s schedule had to be adjusted for him to travel to Mexico. Maharaj denied reports that Zuma wanted to avoid being heckled at the Youth Day rally.
The Sunday Times reported that Zuma “dodged” the event because he expected to be booed and ridiculed by Malema supporters.
Malema also criticised the ANC’s march to the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg to protest against The Spear, a painting depicting Zuma with exposed genitals.
“They want to march for a spear but none of them has ever marched against rape,” said Malema.
“That week when they were marching for a spear, there was a young girl who was raped by seven boys.
Our Coverage
None of them said let us march against these boys.”
The ANC in Limpopo this week condemned the reported rape of a five-year-old girl in the province. She had already allegedly been raped three times by three different men in her lifetime. - Sapa
Labels: AFRICAN YOUTH DAY, ANC YOUTH LEAGUE, JACOB ZUMA, JULIUS MALEMA, MAC MAHARAJ
Read more...
Zuma claims assassination plot
18/10/2011 00:00:00
by Sapa
A PLOT to assassinate President Jacob Zuma when he was deputy president is "now water under the bridge", his spokesperson said on Monday. "The president raised the matter in the context of honouring his late protector [Patrick Maphumulo], and is not prepared to engage further on it," Mac Maharaj said in a statement.
Maphumulo (39) who had been Zuma's bodyguard for a number of years, died in Durban last Sunday of an unspecified illness. According to the Witness newspaper, Zuma spoke of the plot at Maphumulo's funeral in Umbumbulu, south of Durban, on Saturday.
He told mourners there had been a plot to assassinate him, but that this was thwarted by the loyalty of some of his bodyguards.
They had refused to be coerced into divulging information about his movements.
"Mashimane [Maphumulo's clan name] was part of the VIP guards assigned to the deputy president. At the time, the plotters wanted some information on who I was talking to and associating with," Zuma said at the funeral.
"He and some in the bodyguards team showed deep knowledge of politics. They refused to give information about my movements when their superiors wanted it.
"For refusing to be coerced, they were ostracised by their seniors by being refused some privileges enjoyed by their colleagues, but they did not budge.
"At some stage it was enquired how many firearms there were in my guards' team as they intended attacking and wiping out all the guards and the deputy [president]."
Labels: ASSASSINATION, JACOB ZUMA, MAC MAHARAJ
Read more...
Zuma wants 2011 Zim election
JASON MOYO | HARARE, ZIMBABWE - Aug 07 2010 16:46
Ahead of a summit of regional leaders later this month, South African President Jacob Zuma is pushing to secure an agreement in Zimbabwe for fresh elections in 2011.
And there is already much to suggest a new election campaign is on the cards, as the leaders of Zimbabwe's two main parties step up the rhetoric and hit the campaign trail.
This week Mac Maharaj, part of Zuma's task team on Zimbabwe, began a second visit to the country in as many weeks, a sign that Zuma is looking to step up the pressure.
Maharaj confirmed to the Mail & Guardian he was holding meetings in Harare, but declined further comment. He met leaders of the two MDC factions, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, on Tuesday.
Zuma wants to go to the SADC summit in Windhoek, in just over a week's time, with "at least some kind of timetable" for elections, one Zimbabwean government official said.
With the region's patience with Zimbabwe's endless feuding near-exhausted many are anxious to see an election that produces an undisputed result.
"Zuma wants to go into the SADC [summit] having made real progress towards setting an election timetable. Zanu-PF and the MDC agree that's the only way -- the question is whether it's possible in a year," a government official said.
A SADC diplomat in Harare said that while the MDC might win any free election leaders doubt that Tsvangirai has gathered enough influence and authority during his time in government to win the backing of security forces and ensure stability should he win.
The coalition government has brought in some reforms. Three new commissions -- to run elections and to monitor human rights and the media, with new newspapers being licensed -- are steps towards a fresh poll. But the road to free elections remains a long one.
CONTINUES BELOW
Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara said holding an election before comprehensive reforms will only produce another contested outcome and a further stalemate.
"[What is] key is the quality of elections -- not when they're held," said Mutambara, who met members of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week. "There's no point in rushing into elections that will be challenged."
ZEC member Bessie Nhandara says the commission needs at least a year to clean up the voters' roll.
A report by a rights group found 70 000 registered voters aged well over 100.
Reports of intimidation against teams running a constitutional reform exercise show that the culture of violence that has plagued past election campaigns is still present.
An interparty committee designed to encourage healing and reconciliation has never really got off the ground and many in the countryside remain traumatised by the violence of 2008, when the MDC says hundreds of its supporters were killed and thousands more were displaced.
Mutambara appears to be the only member of the coalition not readying himself for an election.
Apart from stepping up his standard anti-West rhetoric, Mugabe has gone to unusual lengths, risking ridicule by appearing in the ankle-length white robes of an apostolic sect that has traditionally supported him.
Tsvangirai has launched a series of rallies, telling supporters that real change will happen only if his party secures a full electoral mandate.
"We cannot continue to have this mule-powered government, as it is not doing much," he told a rally at the weekend.
Tsvangirai said the SADC intends sending a team to Zimbabwe within two weeks to discuss ways of ending disputes over senior appointments.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), JACOB ZUMA, MAC MAHARAJ
Read more...
Zuma envoy on low-key mission to Zim
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:45 am
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma this week sent his top Zimbabwe facilitator on a low-key mission to Harare, a sign that he views the inclusive Government as having made some significant progress. Mac Maharaj arrived in the capital on Tuesday.
He will meet with President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. Mr Maharaj will also scheduled to meet with negotiators from Zanu-PF and both formations of the Movement for Democratic Change, according to sources in Harare.
The visist comes ahead of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit in Namibia next month.
Mr Maharaj is part of a trio appointed by President Zuma to facilitate debate among the three negotiating parties who form Zimbabwe's inclusive Government. The other two are Ms. Lindiwe Zulu and Mr Charles Nqakula.
President Zuma was in Harare earlier this month, with his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to pay his condolences to their daughter's in-laws.
Their daughter, Gugulethu, is married to Wesley Bongani, the son of MDC-M chief negotiator Professor Welshman Ncube, whose father, Gideon Mathonsi, died in Bulawayo last month.
President Zuma told journalists in Harare that he was in the country to pay his condolences to the Ncube family and not discuss politics.
"We had come to visit our bereaved relatives. As you are aware, our daughter is married to the son of Professor Welshman Ncube and we came to be with him in his time of need," President Zuma said.
He also paid President Mugabe a courtesy call at State House.
Labels: JACOB ZUMA, MAC MAHARAJ
Read more...
