It is no easy feat to introduce a President in his own country, because it is like introducing a father to his own family. Surely if it was a scenario of a father being introduced into his own family, there would be members of the family who would rightfully make the claim that they know the head of the family much better.
I am the first to acknowledge that the long years spanning the President's leadership role in our country ordinarily touched many people in different ways and all may have stories to tell. But since this is a function of the Heads of Prosecuting Agencies from around the world, I will take the liberty to delve a little more into some details about the President.
I have personally known the President many years before the political un-banning, as a leader of our people's struggle against apartheid. I could count many interactions as many who participated in the struggle against apartheid would. However, I will refer to an incident which I have referred to today in Parliament on the occasion of bidding farewell to Chief Justice Pius Langa and the installation of our new Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.
I made reference to one incidence that was personally exhilarating and memorable. Back in 1977, President Zuma sent me from Maputo where he was serving as Deputy Chief Representative of the ANC, to Dares Salaam, and the significance of which is that gave me my first opportunity to board a flight and you could imagine the thrill of that experience. After the signing of the Komati Accord between South Africa and Mozambique in 1984, he became the Chief Representative of the ANC in Mozambique and Head of Intelligence.
Together with former President Thabo Mbeki, they were the most trusted senior leaders of the ANC, entrusted by the late former President of the ANC Oliver Tambo, to engage the apartheid regime in what was known as "talks about talks", as advance team in establishing formal contacts with the apartheid regime, leading to the signing of the Groote Schuur Minutes that laid the foundation for the negotiations that would in turn usher in our democratic dispensation.
President Zuma has demonstrated distinguished leadership capabilities, particularly by bringing peace and stability in KwaZulu-Natal which is the province most notorious for what others referred to as "black on black violence" prior to our democratic elections in 1994. Consequently, he was awarded with the Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Leadership in Washington DC, in 1998, mainly because of his leadership role as Chairperson of the ANC of the Southern Natal Region, a position he assumed at the inaugural regional conference in 1990.
Just this last Tuesday, the President was awarded with the best African President Award at the Africa Consciousness Media Leadership Awards in an event attended amongst others by former President of Zambia, President Kenneth Kaunda. This was in recognition of his immense leadership skills spanning decades that during his tenure as South Africa's Deputy President saw him assuming the role of mediator in the difficult Burundi negotiations process. In assuming the role of mediator he was filling the great shoes of the late former Tanzanian President Julius Mwalimu Nyerere and later those of South Africa’s former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
Following our first national general elections in 1994, he was appointed Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, responsible for Economic Affairs and Tourism.
In 1997, he was elected Deputy President of the ruling party, the ANC, and later appointed Deputy President of our country following the 1999 national general elections.
At the last ANC National Conference in 2007, he was elected President of the ruling party, the African National Congress, and later elected President of the Republic of South Africa, following the 2009 national general elections. There are many leadership roles he undertook, but due to time constraints I will not mention all of them.
He is affectionately known by his clan names as "Nxamalala" or "Msholozi". But his official names are Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please welcome to the podium the President of the Republic of South Africa!
Issued by: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
11 November 2009
Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (http://www.justice.gov.za)
