Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 17-12-2017
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation says it is repulsed at recent comments by President Jacob Zuma, which insinuates that anti-apartheid struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada was manipulated into writing the letter calling on him to resign.
According to the foundation, in a recent interview with the SABC, Zuma questioned whether Kathrada had actually written the letter, and hinted that due to his age, he could have been manipulated into doing so.
In a statement, the foundation says false information that the letter was written by his wife Barbara Hogan, as retaliation for being removed from her post as a minister, has also been peddled.
The foundation says it rejects both the claims
“The misrepresentation of the facts by Zuma to the South African public is a sad reflection of President Zuma, who has simply dismissed Kathrada’s views as that of an old man who had lost his mind.”
The foundation says Zuma’s comments have pained a lot of Kathrada’s supporters.
“President Zuma’s statements are also deeply hurtful to the struggle stalwart’s family, and the staff, the Board and management of the Foundation who worked with Kathrada – activists who have always served and acted with the highest degree of integrity, and with great dereference to the stalwart.”
The foundation says Zuma’s, attempt to cast aspersion’s on Kathrada’s state of mind and its independence will not detract from the validity of the contents of his letter and that perhaps it would have been better if he had read it and acted on the advice given.
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