The Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in KwaZulu-Natal said the absence of the party leader and former president Jacob Zuma from a birthday event in his honour in Eshowe north of the province on Saturday, was due to miscommunication between the organisers and Zuma’s family.
Supporters of the party who attended Zuma's 83rd birthday celebration event were left puzzled on Saturday when the party leader did not pitch.
It was expected that Zuma would be the main speaker at the event held at a local school sports ground.
However, when the programme started at about 2pm, much later than the scheduled 11am start, Zuma had still not arrived.
This was even though a few hours before the event started, there were announcements that motorists should move their vehicles from behind the stage to create space for Zuma’s motorcade.
Zuma’s attendance was even confirmed at the event by the provincial deputy organiser Reggie Ngcobo.
Instead Zuma is believed to have celebrated his birthday with his wife Sizakele Makhumalo-Zuma and other family members at his home in Nkandla, about 100km from Eshowe.
Clarifying Zuma’s absence, the provincial party convener Willies Mchunu on Sunday said that there was no plan for Zuma to leave his home on his birthday because the plan was for him to celebrate with his family.
Mchunu said there was a communication error between the organisers and Zuma’s family, which created the impression that he was to attend the Eshowe event.
“I think it was a miscommunication between the organisers and the family. There was no plan for the president to leave home because he (was always going to) celebrate his birthday with the family,” said Mchunu.
Mchunu delivered the main address on Saturday, describing Zuma as a pioneer of the freedom struggle, adding that he was a genius and intellectual.
Zuma has never previously celebrated his birthday at public rallies like the ones that were organised by his party at the weekend.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision by the party to celebrate Zuma's birthday at venues across the country, the party's Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu, when addressing another leg of birthday celebrations in Soweto in Johannesburg said the party felt it was important to use the Zuma’s birthday to counter a negative narrative.
Shivambu said Zuma was portrayed as a bad person and was hated by some because he was 'never handled by the white people in his entire life'.