Nearly 13 years ago, a young Julius Malema uttered words that would become etched in the country’s political landscape: “We are prepared to die for Zuma.”
At the time, Malema was at the helm of the ANC Youth League, and was speaking at a rally in the Free State in support of then ANC president Jacob Zuma.
Now, outside Zuma’s controversial homestead, those same words have been uttered again — this time by someone else.
“There’s no need for the country to go to war. But we are prepared to die for Zuma,” said uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association member Mduduzi Mkhize.
He was one of a planned 200 MKMVA members and Zuma supporters — dubbed a “platoon” last week — who had vowed to “protect” the former president from arrest as they set up camp outside in Nkandla.
The MK vets and like-minded supporters say they fully agree with Zuma’s defiance of the Zondo commission and the Constitutional Court ruling ordering him to appear and answer questions before deputy judge president Raymond Zondo.
Buses ferrying supporters, largely under the banner of the MKMVA, had begun their “deployment” to the rural homestead on Sunday.
Mkhize, who was pushing his comrade Zibusise Cele in a wheelchair, told Sunday Times Daily the veterans were there to see if the court system would be fair on Zuma.
“We are here to keep an eye out. We want to see if fairness will be seen here. We didn’t come here to fight or cause chaos. If there is no fairness displayed, then we are willing to go as far as we can for Zuma. We will die with Nxamala. We will not leave him,” said Mkhize.
Cele agreed, saying SA had leaders had committed crimes in the past but were not held accountable.
“Ramaphosa is the country’s first leader. Why can’t he lead by example and appear at the commission before Zuma? Why skip Ramaphosa?” he said, referring to President Cyril Ramaphosa having not yet appeared at the state capture commission.
“We expect the court to deliver a letter of warrant of arrest here at the Zuma home. Whether he takes the letter or not is up to him. But we are with him on whatever he decides. Not behind him, with him. If they arrest him, they will have to arrest us all,” said Cele.
The soldiers and branch members were expected to work in shifts guarding the former president. According to MKMVA spokesperson Carl Neihaus, who was part of a delegation that held a meeting that lasted more than seven hours with Zuma in Nkandla last Thursday, about 200 people were set to be deployed at the homestead.
Malema had visited Zuma earlier in the week.
Niehaus said that while they didn’t want to incite violence, they would do what they deem “necessary to prevent his arrest”.
“We don’t want, and are not in favour of any violence. So, obviously, everyone is wanting for this not to go the route of arrest. It’s not just a matter of supporting president Zuma. We want to make it 100% clear we are with him, and we will do our level best to protect him.
“We sincerely hope reason will prevail and he will not be arrested. I don’t think anyone should underestimate the commitment of the MKMVA membership to president Zuma,” he said.
Another supporter, Katrish Dlamini, a member of the ANC’s Khotho Mkhunya region, said: “Not unless he has killed a person ... no jail in this country can hold Jacob Zuma. We are going to be here to ensure that.”
He doubled-down on Zuma’s frequently stated claim that Zondo was “biased” and that the former president’s constitutional rights had been taken away.
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