Zuma to speak at Human Rights Day celebrations in EC

President Jacob Zuma will return to the Eastern Cape for the second time in 10 days as he is expected to make the keynote address at the Human Rights Day (HRD) celebrations in King William’s Town tomorrow.

This was announced by MEC Pemmy Majodina, the chairwoman of the intergovernmental steering committee for HRD celebrations at Steve Biko Centre in Ginsberg.

Majodina said Tuesday’s festivities would be linked with the 40th anniversary of Steve Biko’s death.

This will not be Zuma’s last visit to the province this month as he is scheduled to return to Mbizana on March 31 to kickstart the OR Tambo centenary festivities, said Majodina.

Zuma on March 12 appeared at two ANC regional conferences – Amathole and Nelson Mandela Bay – where he addressed delegates in what was seen as a resuscitation of the “NDZ17” campaign in the province after it was dealt a blow by Xhosa King Mpendulo Sigcau earlier this year.

NDZ17 is associated with an ANC grouping that is lobbying for Zuma’s ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to take over the party’s presidency in December at the national elective conference. Dlamini-Zuma tried to launch her own campaign in the province by visiting King Sigcau’s great place in Nqadu.

But the Xhosa king told her that SA was not ready for a woman president.

Tomorrow the President will be wearing his government hat when he addresses crowds at the Victoria grounds in King William’s Town.

The theme for this year’s HRD celebrations, said Majodina, was “unity in action in advancing human rights” in honour of the ANC’s longest serving president, Oliver Tambo, who was a human rights lawyer by profession.

On  Tuesday Zuma, accompanied by ministers and premier Phumulo Masualle, is expected to start with a visit to Biko’s grave.

Fifteen other graves surrounding Biko’s have also benefited with renovations from the sport, recreation, arts and culture department in the province.

Zuma will wrap up festivities by delivering a speech at the Victoria ground in the afternoon.​