MK Party’s Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson Abel Tau has paid tribute to the party’s leader Jacob Zuma who celebrated his 83rd birthday on Saturday 12 April 2025.
To mark Zuma’s birthday, the MK Party launched the Jacob Zuma Legacy lecture which was delivered by Professor Sipho Seepe with the party”s Secretary General Floyd Shivambu being the keynote speaker at the Protea South Hall in Soweto.
According to Tau, the Legacy lecture held on Saturday was a buildup to the party’s national lecture which will be held on June 25 this year.
Saturday’s Legacy lecture had been organised by the Gauteng region of the MK Party.
MK Party Secretary General Floyd Shivambu flanked by Professor Sipho Seepe
“We believe that the legacy of Jacob Zuma needs to be told by us who experienced his leadership in the past and continue to do so even now,” said Tau in an exclusive interview with Tshwane Talks on Saturday.
“One of the sentiments that were expressed during the lecture was that he is arguably the most successful president South Africa has had even though white monopoly capital tried to paint his tenure as president of the country as nine wasted years, but during Zuma’s tenure as president of the country life expectancy was at its highest,” said Tau.
He said Zuma’s efforts in developing the country are notable and that the amount of interventions Zuma made to transform the economy was evidenced by the fact that more and more black people became richer than before, because Zuma had a sharp focus to empower black people, thus restoring their dignity.
“Zuma foresaw the hard times that South Africa finds itself in now economically, and knew that the global West counties are not necessarily our friends, that is why he joined the Bric nations, (Brazil, Russia, India, China) leading to the organisation being renamed Brics to cater for the inclusion of South Africa,” explained Tau.
Tau emphasised that Zuma understood that the country needed new strategic partners and allies; people that South Africa could befriend and who would in turn not hold their gun to South Africa’s head and dictate the country’s foreign policy for the benefit of the Western countries and pursue a neo Colonial agenda.
Tau said during the lecture Zuma was described as a humble man; a man who truly is the people’s president.
“Up until today anyone can access Uxamalala, and he will listen attentively,” enthused Tau.
Tau insisted that Zuma is a peace-loving person who loved seeking knowledge and is the most knowledgeable president and political figure the country has ever had.
Tau revealed that though Zuma doesn’t have any formal education qualifications, he joined the ANC at the age of 17 and later Umkhonto WeSizwe before he was arrested and spent ten years on Robben Island, where he learned his politics from people like Moses Mabhida and Harry Gwala as he was fond of learning.
“We need to retell the story of Zuma not as a person who was painted as corrupt by white monopoly capital, but as a gallant fighter and revolutionary who is committed to uplifting the lives of our people and turning their plight around,” said Tau.