Sona moemish & supporters' conference: It's a Jacob Zuma trend bonanza

13 February 2020 - 08:58

By Cebelihle Bhengu

Former president Jacob Zuma is abroad receiving medical attention, according to his attorneys, but this did not prevent him from becoming a talking point on social media on Wednesday.

The public weighed in on parliament’s “erroneous” report that he would be attending the state of the nation address (Sona), while his backers held a press conference expressing concerns about the Pietermaritzburg High Court slapping him with a stayed warrant of arrest last week.

Tweeps were shocked when parliament said Zuma would be joining former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe at Sona, only to later retract the statement, saying the embattled former president's name was “erroneously included”.

Twitter users questioned the legitimacy of Zuma’s “ill-health”, which he cited as the reason for his no-show in court last week.

Parliament's retraction of the initial statement and its “embarrassing error” was also questioned

The press conference held by Zuma’s supporters in Gauteng on Wednesday, where Umkhonto we Sizwe Veterans' Association (MKMVA) member Carl Niehaus defended Zuma, also caused a Twitter frenzy.

Niehaus said the Zuma wing in the ANC would march to the organisation’s headquarters in May to call for a stop to the “abuse” of Zuma.

Niehaus further slammed the ANC for promoting white privilege at the expense of his “struggle veteran” friend.

“The plan is to support president Zuma and to express our outrage at the warrant of arrest against Zuma, and to then plan a series of mass rolling actions to express our unhappiness about that warrant of arrest and our support for him and the radical economic transformation programme.”

Sona moemish & supporters' conference: It's a Jacob Zuma trend bonanza

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