TO ANC WAR VETS ZUMA REMAINS "SPEAR OF THE NATION"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 000066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KJUS SF SUBJECT: TO ANC WAR VETS ZUMA REMAINS "SPEAR OF THE NATION" PRETORIA 00000066 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MADELINE Q. SEIDENSTRICKER FO R REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Former fighters in Umkhonto we Sizwe, some of African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma,s strongest supporters, have high expectations for the ANC leader and are expecting him to address their interests. Umkhonto we Sizwe, translated to &Spear of the Nation8 and often referred to as &MK,8 was the armed wing of the ANC during the struggle against apartheid. Some of the veterans felt former President Thabo Mbeki neglected them and expect Zuma ) the &one who trained us to be soldiers8 ) to look after them and to appoint them to positions in the Ministry of Defense or the National Intelligence Agency. End Summary. -------------- &Grass on His Feet8 -------------- ¶2. (C) Poloff met with five Umkhonto we Sizwe veterans in the Kennaway Court Hotel following the ANC,s policy manifesto launch on January 10 in East London. Although most of them had had plenty to drink, they were exuberant following Zuma,s address and the 97th birthday of the ANC. The veterans refused to reveal their names because of the sensitivity of their backgrounds. Zuma trained each of the veterans and they served directly under him during the armed resistance against apartheid. Each professed extreme loyalty to Zuma and expressed their admiration for the ANC leader. One noted, &He understands our concerns ( and knows exactly what it was like to fight in the ways we fought.8 Another said, &Zuma still has grass beneath his feet from when he was on the ground with us.8 The same source noted, &Zuma was an excellent soldier who dodged bullets and fought with strength of purpose.8 They all agreed with the idea that Zuma,s willingness to dance to liberation war songs shows that he knows where he came from. ¶3. (C) One veteran said, &Mbeki never understood us at all.8 He elaborated that the reason Mbeki pushed for a gender split in the ANC was not because the former President &liked the idea ( it was because he had no strong male friends that could counter us.8 Another agreed with such a characterization and added, &Mbeki found out that he needed us to maintain power. He was so unpopular with us ( he found out.8 Businessman Sipho Mashinini, who was sitting with the veterans, said, &These guys brought Zuma into power ( just as I helped bring Paul Mashitile (newly appointed Gauteng premier) into power.8 He added, &These decisions were taken behind closed doors. There was no real voting ( for Mashitile it was four of us who decided he should be the next premier.8 -------------- Expectations for the Future -------------- ¶4. (C) The veterans said they want greater funding and access to positions in the government. One veteran introduced another as &the next Minister of Defense.8 Another veteran said, &I want to be in the National Intelligence Agency.8 Still another noted, &We will give Zuma three years before he begin to question (him) taking care of us.8 They all decried the fact they &have served for and defended our country,8 but have little to show for it. Zuma has made similar remarks himself, last month noting Qit. Zuma has made similar remarks himself, last month noting that the ANC had not done enough to look after the veterans from the armed struggle. Job creation and rural development are two areas being promoted in the ANC,s policy manifesto that may specifically address the veterans, needs. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) The war veterans, remarks underscore the challenge Zuma faces should he assume office in coming months. The ANC leader will have many supporters to please with limited resources and limited time. Zuma can continue to espouse how he defers to the ANC to make policy decisions, but there are those around him ) including the veterans from Umkhonto we Sizwe ) who expect action from him on issues that directly affect them. The veterans were part of the support base that swayed the vote away from Mbeki for a third term as ANC PRETORIA 00000066 002.2 OF 002 leader last year. The veterans now are squarely behind Zuma, but should he fail to deliver they may turn on him or look for others to blame. On the other hand, if Zuma does deliver by offering them positions and perks within the government it could bog down the administration and weaken institutions. BOST