When President Jacob Zuma retires, he will write a tell-all book about his tenure as the president of the country, he said on Friday.
Zuma was speaking at a cadres forum in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal on Friday when he suggested that it was former friends, and not his enemies, that are threatening his presidency.
“One day when I am retired I will write my book and you will realise why I said what I said,” he told more than 3 000 ANC supporters at city hall.
“This is because I know where things went wrong. I know who are the witches at work. It is fine when the enemy is at a distance, but when it is your friend, it is not easy because they know your weaknesses.”
Zuma said enemies were dangerous because “they knew where your ancestors were buried”.
“At least I know who [my enemies] are and what they are doing. I am not worried. If I was crazy, I would make the whole of South Africa crazy as well.
“As you can see, I am not bothered. People can say whatever they want. I know what it means, where it comes from and where it is going.”
Zuma said he joined the ANC at a very young age and he had no regrets.
“I told you one day that when I retire, when I am on pension and no longer earning a salary, I will become an ANC volunteer and I will work like a madman.
“No one will say we are fighting for positions because I won’t want anyone’s position. I have never wanted a position in the first place.”
Zuma said he had already identified two departments he was going to volunteer in. He did not reveal them, however.
“I will tell you when you are doing something wrong. When there is a congress [of the ANC] and things are not going right and I am among the delegates, I will raise my hand and say things are not going right.”
Zuma said the ANC was faced with a huge challenge but this was not the first time for the party.
“The question is how are we going to get out of it? Are we going to be like other liberation movements or are we going to be different? I trust the ANC because it knows how to get itself out of a tight corner.”
He said the party knew how to adapt to changes.
“Don’t leave everything to the leadership. Sometimes leaders appear as though they know what they are doing but they don’t. You must help them and fix the ANC, build the ANC.”
He encouraged the supporters to study politics.
“Unity was the secret of the life and success of the ANC. Stop hating other comrades. Where will you find another, if you hate this one? It is not easy to find comrades, do not get rid of them so easily. Keep them close, especially for the tough days.
“When we are divided, the enemy can destroy us.”
Zuma said also South Africa was not completely free. He said the party should use political power to control the economy. “Let us stop complaining over nothing.”
He said he would always be there, “in good and bad times”.
