Mthatha – Former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has launched a fresh attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa while campaigning ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
Speaking at the Bridge to Heaven Christian Fellowship Church in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, Zuma accused Ramaphosa of failing South Africans and questioned his leadership.
Zuma said: “We currently have a crook running the country… I forget his name.”
He also referred to the Phala Phala farm burglary, saying: “When he gets money, he hides it under the bed. We’re suffering, we have orphans, and this crook does not care.”
“This thing of having one person governing the country will end. You don’t even know if this person is smart or if they’re a crook.
We currently have a crook running the country… I forget his name. When he gets money, he hides it under the bed. We’re suffering, we have orphans… pic.twitter.com/x8kDXuOdMH— News Live SA (@newslivesa) August 16, 2026
Zuma further challenged Ramaphosa’s record, asking: “Who can say what this criminal has done for us? There isn’t a single thing.”
The comments reflect the longstanding political rivalry between Zuma and Ramaphosa, who served as president and deputy president of the ANC respectively before Ramaphosa replaced Zuma as president.
Zuma also criticised the current ANC, saying it was no longer the organisation he knew and claiming the MK Party would play a role in rescuing it.
His remarks come as the MK Party steps up its campaign ahead of the local government elections, with Zuma also engaging traditional leaders during a week-long tour of the Eastern Cape.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
