- Former president Jacob Zuma can expect another set of visitors on Thursday at his Nkandla homestead.
- The MKMVA said they want to "visit the old man" to "show him support".
- The grouping has supported the former president's decision to defy a Constitutional Court ruling, directing him to comply with the Zondo commission.
Former president Jacob Zuma should remain steadfast in his decision to shun the Zondo commission and he should not be convinced otherwise.
This is according to the uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) who are making their way to Nkandla to visit the embattled erstwhile leader to express their support for him on Thursday.
Kebby Maphatsoe, who heads the MKMVA group and is an ardent Zuma supporter, said the group wanted to make it known to Zuma that he was justified in his decision not to comply with the state capture inquiry.
He said:
Maphatsoe said he did not agree with the efforts to convince Zuma to
abandon his decision to risk jail in shunning a summons to appear before the
commission.
Zuma has been at odds with the commission following his decision to boycott it despite a subpoena for him to appear before it.
Last week, the state capture inquiry slammed Zuma's announcement that he would not obey a summons to appear before the commission.
READ | ANC Veterans' League willing to help convince Zuma to appear before Zondo
Following a ruling by the Constitutional Court in favour of the commission, Zuma made it clear that he was willing to face jail time rather than appear before the commission – a move the Zondo commission said proved that he considered himself to be "above the law and the Constitution".
News24 reported that Zuma, in a six-page statement, contended that his defiance was motivated by the Constitutional Court ruling that he did not have a blanket "right to silence" in response to the hundreds of questions the inquiry wished to put to him.
Maphatsoe said the group of party veterans and ex-combatants were not following in the footsteps of EFF leader Julius Malema who had tea with Zuma last week.
READ MORE | He thinks 'he's above the law': Zondo commission slams Zuma's refusal to obey ConCourt order
He said the MKMVA decided in January to "visit the old man" so that they could "see how he is doing and how we can support him".
Maphatsoe said due to financial constraints, they could not go sooner.
He said:
Malema visited Zuma on Friday, making a dramatic entrance in a
helicopter with advocate Dali Mpofu and Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina in
tow.
The EFF leader is said to have tried to convince Zuma to cooperate with the commission and that that would strengthen his fight against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
'Just leave Zuma'
The meeting between the MKMVA top brass and Zuma is expected to take place at noon on Thursday.
Maphatsoe said the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC), which is meeting over the weekend, should "not get involved in Zuma's decision".
He said:
The NEC is expected to discuss the matter as NEC member Ronald Lamola told
News24 that Zuma's decision was "un-ANC" and
"dangerous".
Maphatsoe said they believed that "people in the ANC NEC hate Zuma" and therefore should not be considering this matter at all.
