Zuma claims ANC govt wants to arrest him as he storms back onto campaign trail

Former President Jacob Zuma made a dramatic return to the political stage on Sunday, telling thousands of uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) supporters at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu that the ANC-led government wants to arrest him again ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

The 84-year-old arrived to a standing ovation, his first major public rally appearance after 11 days in hospital, accompanied by his wife Bongekile Ngema-Zuma. His entrance stopped proceedings as supporters in green and brown sang “uMsholozi” and pushed towards the stage to catch a glimpse of the party’s main drawcard.

The rally is the MKP’s final election push before the 4 November local government elections, in the province where the party emerged as the largest force in the 2024 general elections.

Zuma, who had been absent from the campaign trail for weeks, sought to turn his health scare into a political weapon.

“They want to arrest me. The ANC government wants to put me back in jail because they know we are winning,” Zuma told supporters.

“They are scared of MK. They are scared of you. They have no plan for this country except to persecute Jacob Zuma.”

Zuma did not provide evidence for the arrest claim, nor did he specify what charge he believed the state was preparing. He has previously claimed political persecution by the ANC government he once led.

His comments come after weeks of speculation about his health. The MKP had been forced to reassure supporters that Zuma was resting under medical supervision after his admission to hospital, with unconfirmed reports that he had been transferred to another facility.

On Friday, he made his first appearance in weeks through a virtual address. Sunday’s physical appearance at the party’s Mother of All Rallies in Durban was designed to dispel rumours and place him back at the centre of the party’s campaign.

“I was in hospital but I am not dead. I am still here with you,” Zuma said to cheers. “The doctors told me to rest but how can I rest when the country is in crisis?”

Flanked by senior leadership including first deputy president Duduzane Zuma, second deputy president Tony Yengeni, national chairperson Mxolisi Phakathi and KwaZulu-Natal convenor Willies Mchunu, Zuma used the platform to launch a blistering attack on the Government of National Unity.

He accused the ANC of betraying its liberation roots and selling the country to “white monopoly capital” through privatisation of ports, rail and energy.

“The ANC of today is not the ANC we joined in the bush. It is an ANC that has joined the DA to oppress black people,” he said.

“We left the ANC, we did not leave the struggle. MK is the real ANC.”

The arrest claim is consistent with Zuma’s long-running narrative of lawfare against him. The former president served a 15-month sentence for contempt of the Constitutional Court in 2021 after refusing to appear before the State Capture Commission. That imprisonment triggered the July 2021 unrest that left more than 300 people dead, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal.

He still faces corruption charges linked to the 1990s arms deal, a case that has been in and out of court for almost two decades.

Political analysts say the claim of imminent arrest is a calculated mobilisation tool in KZN, where Zuma remains an influential figure and where MKP is seeking to convert its 2024 national breakthrough into municipal power.

“This is classic Zuma. He frames himself as the victim of the state to energise his base. Whether there is an actual warrant or not is secondary. The message is: they are after your leader, therefore they are after you,” one analyst at the rally said.

The MKP has faced internal turmoil in recent months, with public fights over leadership and the deployment of MPs, but has sought to present a united front in the final days. The presence of Duduzane Zuma alongside his father was intended to signal generational continuity.

Zuma closed his address with a direct appeal to voters in KwaMashu, eThekwini and across the province.

“On Wednesday you must show them that KZN belongs to MKP. You must protect the vote. They stole it before, they want to steal it again,” he said.

“Don’t sleep until the result is announced. Tshela Thupa. No rest until victory.”

The MKP is contesting in all major metros in KwaZulu-Natal and is targeting control of eThekwini, Newcastle and several hung municipalities where its support could make it kingmaker.

The ANC in KZN has not yet responded to Zuma’s arrest claims.