Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan is not a hero of "our people" but a hero of fat cats and capitalists, ANC NEC member Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.
Most of those who took part in anti-Zuma marches were among the richest people in the country "who have never been subjected to poverty," the newly-appointed police minister told ANC Youth League members at the Durban City Hall.
Gordhan had become minister of “memorial services”. Since President Jacob Zuma removed him as finance minister, he had been using the ANC’s name to promote anarchy, he said.
He said the ANC was not against the anti-Zuma march.
"We will not oppose anybody from marching because when they fail in their action, they'll say the ANC members intimidated them. Let's show them what freedom is and let them march and sing Nkalakatha," he said, referring to the hit song by Mandoza.
"The people are not rebelling against the ANC, but it is monopoly capital that is manipulating our people to further its narrow agenda,” he said of those who took part in Friday’s protests.
He said the anti-Zuma marchers would never depose the democratically-elected government of the country because the ANC had delivered for the people.
"Our revolution is going through a test, but you must not be afraid.”
Before DA leader Mmusi Maimane could tell the ANC to recall Zuma, he first had to recall Western Cape premier Helen Zille because of her tweets about colonialism.
Ethekwini mayor Zandile Gumede said the region would keep backing Zuma because "an attack on him is an attack on the ANC".
“President Zuma was elected in broad daylight through correct processes, but now he is a victim of wounded tigers,” she said.
The Constitution gave Zuma the power to appoint and recall ministers because he would be held accountable for a lack of service delivery, she said.
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