- Former South African President Jacob Zuma held a rally in Soweto ahead of the May 29 general election.
- Zulu warriors, camouflage men, and renowned artists, including rapper Big Zulu, entertained the crowd.
- Soweto holds significant political symbolism, having been a key part of the struggle against apartheid.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma showcased his strength in Soweto, campaigning vigorously for votes ahead of the May 29 general election. Zulu warriors paraded around Orlando Stadium wielding spears and shields, men in camouflage sang and danced to revolutionary songs, and some of South Africa’s renowned artists, including rapper Big Zulu, entertained the near-capacity crowd at Saturday’s rally.
For Mr. Zuma’s supporters, a major coup was securing the presence of the disco king, Papa Penny. After resigning from the governing African National Congress (ANC) last week, he joined the former president’s new party, uMkhonto weSizwe, which translates as Spear of the Nation.
“Unite Africa. Unite South Africa,” he said in a short address to the crowd, adding: “Phansi [Down with] tribalism.”
Mr. Zuma’s supporters viewed Papa Penny’s presence as significant, given his roots in the small Tsonga community, challenging the perception that the former president’s support is limited to his Zulu ethnic group, the largest in South Africa.
However, the star attraction at the rally was the 82-year-old former president himself.
As Mr. Zuma walked into the stadium, the crowd erupted into chants of “Zuma, Zuma.” His increasingly influential daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, knelt in front of him and hugged him before he took his seat on the stage.
She serves on the party’s “national core” and recently told The Shady PHodcast, “My father is obviously the head, and I’m the neck.”
Mr. Zuma chose to hold his biggest campaign rally in Soweto, a significant move since it is a stronghold of the ANC in Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland.
Soweto also carries deep political symbolism, having been at the forefront of the struggle against apartheid, which ended when the ANC rose to power in 1994.
Now, 30 years later, the ANC risks losing its outright majority as it faces threats from Zuma’s breakaway party and other opposition parties.
With this in mind, ANC leader and President Cyril Ramaphosa has been vigorously campaigning in Mr. Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
On Saturday, in the town of Mandeni, about 100km (62 miles) from Durban, Mr. Ramaphosa addressed voters, stating that creating jobs was his priority. He warned “small parties” like MK, the acronym for Mr. Zuma’s party, that they underestimate the ANC at their peril.
“These small parties, the MK-what-what don’t know us. They only know about us from the media. They will know us on 29 May,”
Mr. Ramaphosa ousted Mr. Zuma as president in 2018 after a vicious power struggle. Last December, Mr. Zuma left the ANC and launched a fresh bid for power under the banner of MK.
South Africa’s highest court has yet to rule on whether Mr. Zuma can serve as a lawmaker in the next parliament. The electoral commission contends that the constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from holding such a position.
After a vicious power struggle, Mr. Ramaphosa ousted Mr. Zuma as president in 2018. Last December, Mr. Zuma left the ANC and launched a fresh bid for power under the MK banner.
The highest court in South Africa has yet to rule on whether Mr. Zuma can serve as a lawmaker in the next parliament. The electoral commission argues that the constitution prohibits anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from holding such a position.
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