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Hundreds of supporters gathered on Saturday in solidarity with former South African President Jacob Zuma outside his Nkandla property as the deadline looms for him to surrender.
In an unprecedented ruling, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday asked Zuma to surrender by Sunday to begin a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court after repeatedly refusing to testify to corruption investigators.
His supporters, mostly members of the Umkhonto Wesizwe military wing of the African National Congress, have been camping for weeks outside his home in Kwa-Zulu Natal province.
Dressed in traditional leopard skins and ostrich feathers and wielding spears, shields and clubs known as “knobkerries”, men known as “amaButho” or Zulu regiments marched through the streets of Nkandla, singing songs of praise dedicated to Zuma.
Some Zuma supporters wore traditional Zulu leopard skins and ostrich feathers. By Emmanuel Croset (AFP) Bare-breasted women wearing elaborate necklaces and headbands danced and sang as they paraded.
“The reason I’m here is because I love Zuma,” a supporter told AFP.
“When he was in charge, we had no problem with electricity, there was no containment or Covid.”
Tensions mounted this week as members of the MKMVA military veterans association threatened that the country would be destabilized if the former leader was apprehended, promising to form a human shield around Zuma.
Fearing a confrontation, the ruling ANC said it had postponed a scheduled meeting of its top national executive committee this weekend.
Numerous convoys of local provincial leaders, including ANC KwaZulu Natal Secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli and Provincial Premier Sihle Zikalala were spotted on the property.
Zuma’s ally Carl Niehaus told AFP the former president was on his farm on Saturday to meet with spiritual leaders.
Zuma’s residential complex, with a thatched-roof main house surrounded by dozens of small huts, underwent a multi-million dollar renovation at taxpayer expense during his presidency.
If the 79-year-old does not surrender by Sunday, police will have three more days to arrest him.
A document viewed by AFP on Saturday suggested the constitutional court would review Zuma’s sentence on July 12, although the decision is not subject to appeal and experts said a review would not affect the deadline. Sunday.
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