‘We Have a Thief Running the Country’: Jacob Zuma Takes Swipe at President Cyril Ramaphosa

• MK Party leader Jacob Zuma targeted President Cyril Ramaphosa during a campaign stop in Mthatha ahead of the 4 November 2026 local elections
• •Zuma accused Ramaphosa of running the country like a criminal who has done nothing for ordinary South Africans, including orphans
• South Africans online fired back, pointing to Zuma's own controversies and his ties to the Gupta family

SOUTH AFRICA - Jacob Zuma took direct aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa during a campaign rally in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections.

The MK Party leader used the platform to paint Ramaphosa as unfit to lead, drawing sharp reactions from South Africans who were quick to point out the irony.

Zuma calls Ramaphosa a crook

Standing before supporters, Zuma described the country's president as a thief without naming him directly.

"We have a thief running the country, I forget his name. When he gets money, he hides it under the bed," he said,

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Zuma was making a reference widely understood to be aimed at Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm scandal.

Zuma argued that no single person could honestly say Ramaphosa had delivered anything meaningful for ordinary citizens.

"Not even one person can say what this person has done for us," he told the crowd.

He also used the occasion to push back against what he called one-person rule, framing the upcoming elections as a chance for voters to demand accountability from leaders suspected of corruption or incompetence.

See video here:

Zuma's words land with mixed reactions online

The speech stirred up a lively debate on social media, with many South Africans drawing attention to Zuma's own record in office and his long-documented ties to the Gupta family.

@OnyxAudit wrote:

"Wait? Criminal? Hides under his 'fire pool'? How many convictions does Zuma have vs Ramaphosa? I'll just leave that here."

@RetForever68 said:

"Cyril Ramaphosa and Thabo Mbeki are without a doubt, the biggest wasted opportunity to move the country forward..."

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@maetsebane added:

"Jacob Zuma thinks doing something for the people means dancing and singing in rallies."

@Sonndi_M shared:

"I think all ANC presidents didn't do much for us for the past 30 years, including you Baba President Zuma.

@LondiNkosi_ questioned:

"Why can't he campaign without mentioning Ramaphosa 🤔. Who collapsed Transnet, Daniel, Eskom, and SAA"

Zuma accuses the courts of favouring Ramaphosa

Briefly News reported that former president Jacob Zuma was left with a bitter taste after the Johannesburg High Court postponed his case against President Cyril Ramaphosa. Zuma claimed that the courts were on Ramaphosa's side. Zuma's criticism came after he appeared before the Johannesburg High Court on 11 April. Zuma wants Ramaphosa to be charged as an accessory in his private prosecution case against News24 journalist Karyn Maughan and prosecutor Billy Downer.

Source: Briefly News