Jacob Zuma to Miss SONA 2025, MK Party Accuses Judiciary of Deliberately Orchestrating His Absence

• Jacob Zuma will not be at the State of the Nation Address in Cape Town the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party confirmed
• MK Party Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi blamed the judiciary for deliberately preventing Zuma from attending the event
• South Africans are amused by the party's claims, saying that Zuma wasn't going to add value by attending SONA anyway

CAPE TOWN – Jacob Zuma will no longer attend the State of the Nation Address (SONA), with his party claiming that there has been a deliberate attempt to stop him from attending.

Speaking outside the Cape Town City Hall on 6 February 2025, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s Mzwanele Manyi confirmed that Zuma would not attend anymore. Zuma was due to attend SONA 2025, which will take place at the Cape Town City Hall on 6 February at 7 pm.

Manyi blames the judiciary for Zuma’s absence

While addressing the media, the party’s chief whip, Manyi, explained that Zuma had to appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on the same day as SONA, making it impossible for him to be in Cape Town. Zuma appeared in court seeking leave to appeal a ruling that dismissed his attempt to remove advocate Billy Downer from his arms deal corruption case.

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Manyi criticised the timing of the court case, saying it was scheduled intentionally to prevent Zuma from being at SONA.

“The people that run South Africa have orchestrated that he should not be here. It was public information that there would be a fake SONA today. Despite knowing this, the judiciary still wanted him in court in Pietermaritzburg.

While Zuma won't be attending as planned, all eyes will be on the adress to see what other plans fails to materialise. The Democratic Alliance already called for the military parade to be toned down in the wake of the deaths of soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Political parties also asked that the speaker reject the offer for sponsored food and drink at SONA, fearing that Parliamentarians could over indulge.

Manyi’s claims sparked amusement on social media

Social media users were amused by the party’s claims that Zuma was intentionally prevented from attending, while others poked fun at the MK Party’s insistence to call the address the ‘fake SONA’.

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@LoyisoJantjies stated:

“Hahaha. This is so laughable 🤣.”

@LedwabaThabangt added:

“We need an MKP reality show.”

@Ribiemd asked:

“So Zuma was willing to attend the fake SONA?”

@MoMadibi said:

“Fake SONA, but he was going to attend if it wasn't for the judiciary.”

@dennisdennis115 said:

“MKP are cry-babies. Always blaming something.”

@MajolaWillibrod stated:

“Manyi is pathetic. Today's court date was set in September 2024.”

@Netshabumuwise asked:

“Why is he attending the fake things? 🤣 Is he fake too? 🤔”

@Ril_casper stated:

“Like he was going to add some value by attending. Criminals must go to courts 😆.”

@kebalepilekhul1 added:

“That's stupid and typical Zuma. Why did he confirm his attendance when he knew very well that he must be in court? Zuma likes attention too much. His absence is insignificant as always.”

SA suspicious of Zuma's plans to attend SONA

Briefly News previously reported that South Africans questioned why Zuma was attending the State of the Nation Address.

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The MK Party's Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed that the leader would attend, despite turning down invitations to attend previous SONAs.

Social media users suspected that he may have an ulterior motive to attend the SONA, and some discussed possible reasons.

Source: Briefly News