Tutu 'has selective amnesia'
2006-09-01 07:28
Johannesburg - Jacob Zuma's camp has scolded Archbishop Desmond Tutu for urging the ANC deputy president to withdraw from the race to lead his party, the Mail & Guardian reported on Friday.
It quoted Zuma's personal advisor Elias Khumalo as saying Tutu was growing old and suffered from "selective amnesia".
Tutu needed to get his facts right before attacking Zuma, said Khumalo.
The archbishop had "found it so easy" to accept an apology from the apartheid government, yet "now cannot find it in his heart to accept the apology from this humble man who has erred".
Tutu last week called on Zuma to drop out of the ANC succession race, citing his sexual irresponsibility and his supporters' conduct.
Unruly behaviour of supporters
"I for one would not be able to hold my head high if a person with such supporters were to become my president," Tutu said in his Harold Wolpe memorial lecture.
Khumalo said Tutu's claim that Zuma did nothing to stop the unruly behaviour of his supporters was a "display of a high degree of ignorance".
"Zuma clearly articulated his thoughts and displeasure at the behaviour of his supporters concerning a range of issues."
Tutu was also criticised for raising his concerns on a public platform instead of discussing these directly with Zuma.
A source said Zuma had "carefully gone through" Khumalo's statement.
He did not want to release the response under his own name in order to avoid a direct public confrontation with Tutu, said the Mail & Guardian.
- SAPA