I have just read a startling yet unfounded claim by Mr Stanley Uys who said that, "Let us not forget that Zuma became president by accident" (see here). This statement is not only untrue but it is incongruent with the events leading to the 52^nd National Conference held in Polokwane. You see those of us who were present at the Polokwane conference witnessed and participated differently to what Mr. Uys' has claimed.

It will help for international readers to know that according to ANC records, Mr Uys has never been a member of the ANC (probably never even aspired to become one). I on the other hand have been a member thereof for many years and I have attended numerous conferences. I can therefore speak and write with some authority on whether there was an accident or not on any ANC leader's election at various conferences, particularly where I was present as a delegate. It will perhaps be opportune to regurgitate Dr. Zuma's biography briefly in order to prove my point on why I assert that Mr Uys' claim is unfounded. For the record, Zuma joined the ANC in 1962 and in 1963 he was arrested in Zeerust where after he was imprisoned for 10 years at Robben Island.

He was released in 1973 and he played a major role in the Durban strikes of that year. He assisted in forming the ANC underground structures in KZN in order to fight against racial oppression. He was forced to cross the border after receiving information that the SB's (Special Branch) was looking for him. He moved to Mozambique until the Nkomati accord which forced him to flee to Lusaka, Zambia. He became an NEC additional member in 1977, a position which he held for 14 years until his elevation to the Deputy Secretary-General position at the 48^th National Conference which was held in Durban in 1991. After the death of former ANC president Mr O.R Tambo, he was further elevated to become the National Chairman at the 49^th National Conference which was held in Mangaung in 1994. It is there that a Zuma clause was coined in the ANC constitution because at the time Zuma was also serving as the Provincial Chairman in KZN. This paved a way for him to occupy both positions until 1995 when he was redeployed full-time in KZN. This redeployment gave him time to negotiate a peaceful settlement and stop the Black on Black violence plus killings between the ANC and the IFP.

It is important to reveal that, in his death bed after the final stroke, OR pointed at Zuma with a walking stick when he was asked as to who he would have preferred to take over the reigns as the president of the ANC. Dr Zuma went on to become the deputy president of the ANC two years later in 1997 at the 50^th National Conference which was held in Mafikeng. This mandate was renewed in 2002 at the 51^st National Conference which was held in Stellenbosch. It is worth mentioning further that in the history of the ANC, almost all previous presidents had been selected. Leading to the 52^nd National Conference however, there was a vicious leadership contest and Zuma emerged with 60% support at the ballots/elective conference. You see, the campaign started back in 2004 when the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula had just been elected ANCYL president. He approached former president Mbeki in order to tell him that in 2007 as the ANCYL  they were not going to support him for president. He dropped the bombshell that they would instead rally behind Zuma and so peeved was Mbeki that he once stopped the R500K p.m grant which the mother body pays the youth league towards its upkeep.  

And so, the chain of events were set in motion with 2007 alone having seen 600 000 odd Branch General Meetings, 53 Regional General Congresses and 9 Provincial Nominations Conferences throughout the country. How then can Mr Uys conclude that "...Zuma became president by accident" when there was such an extensive democratic process? To make matters worse, Stanley never became part of the lobbying, canvassing, persuasion process, let alone the meetings and conferences etc which preceded Polokwane? Mr. Uys proceeded to insinuate that Zuma will be a mere token at the upcoming 53^rd National Conference which will be held in Mangaung. This assessment and analysis is however flawed because it creates the impression that Zuma has no say in any of the events that will unfold. For the record, Zuma is more popular than the ANC at this stage with his latest rating coming in at 77% against the 65.9% which the ANC achieved at the polls. Surely we are not expected to believe that someone who commands such a following is merely being done a favour by Malema and his so called grouping. Was it not COSATU which a year ago first pronounced on Zuma's second term being a certainty in 2012?

I am not an expert on ANC matters and neither do I know everything about it but I know and have seen enough to tell that what Mr. Uys is prophesying will not be the case. I am also not Dr Zuma's spokesperson and neither do I speak nor write for the ANC here. They say, 24 hours is a long time in politics but the future political events within the ANC are unlikely to unfold as has been foretold by Mr Uys.

I am not second guessing you here Sir, but it was important to enlighten readers on this subject because most journalists and editors in this country have a tendency of misleading them with hearsay. In the process they ignore hardcore facts which those who live within the movement can tell or relay better. This duo want to claim having more and better knowledge than people who eat, drink and sleep the processes of the ANC and its way of doing things. That is wrong as such it must be challenged so that the record can be set straight.

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