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Zuma Struggles to Find Sponsors for Party |
| Publication | Independent Online |
| Date |
2006-01-01 |
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Reporter |
Nomfundo Mcetywa |
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Web Link |
After many years of supporting Jacob Zuma's yearly Christmas party for children in Nkandla, Zululand, top businessmen and chainstores did not come to the party this year.
And many of the hundreds of children who arrived at the party in taxis came asking who would pay their school fees *1 now that the Jacob Zuma RDP Education Trust hung in the balance with Zuma no longer in government.
The trust was established in 1996 by Zuma to help Nkandla children orphaned by faction fighting and HIV and Aids. It has sponsored the fees of 3 000 people, mostly children from impoverished areas, 43 of whom have since completed tertiary studies.
'Those who had been helping in the past came up with too many excuses'
Zuma, who faces charges of corruption and rape, said some of the sponsors he approached this year had come up with various excuses.
"Those who had been helping in the past came up with too many excuses," said Zuma.
"Some said that they didn't know whether to help or not. But, I decided to go ahead with the Christmas party, especially after seeing the expressions on the kids faces, where they literally cried on television after I was dismissed as the deputy president," said Zuma.
On the future of the trust, Zuma said, "I get reports from the people at the office telling me that the number of children applying for the fund is increasing, which means that the number of orphans is increasing, so I hope that business people continue to donate to this fund," he said.
Although he was looking drained after a turbulent year, Zuma seemed to be in a jovial mood at the party. He was relaxed and happy in front of his home crowd, which still sees him as their president-in-waiting.
Zuma took to the stage and joined in, singing and dancing
When the pupils of JG Zuma School in Inanda sang Zuma's favourite revolutionary song, Awulethe Umshini Wami (Bring my machinegun), Zuma took to the stage and joined in, singing and dancing, surrounded by traditional leaders of the Nkandla area.
Inkosi Vela Shange said the idea of the Christmas party came after Zuma formed the education trust. It is now an annual event, attracting thousands of children.
Despite wet and gloomy weather, hundreds of children arrived at the celebrations at Zuma's Nkandla residence on Friday.
In the absence of sponsors to donate school clothes and the like, a past beneficiary of the trust, Zuma Cynthia Nhlenyama brought shoes and school bags, for some of the children.
Nhlenyama's education fees at the Owen Sithole School of Agriculture, where she was a student from 1999 to 2001, were paid by Zuma's trust fund. She is now a businesswoman and a consultant to farmers.
With acknowledgements to Nomfundo Mcetywa and Independent Online.