RET comrades who failed to topple president Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC national elective conference, are allegedly planning to meet former president Jacob Zuma and forge a way forward. A Kwa-Zulu Natal province ANC comrade who was a delegate at the party’s national elective conference at Nasrec, said such a meeting with Zuma should be held as early as this coming January. Nathi Sithole said they are taking matters into their own hands because structures did not listen to them when they raised their concerns.

Some comrades argue that there was no consensus among the Kwa-Zulu Natal province when going to the national elective conference. This probably explains why they failed to get a representative in the ANC. Sithole is one of the RET comrades who have been standing in defense of former president Jacob Zuma. He said they will continue to defend Zuma from comrades like Fikile Mbalula who want to settle political scores using the RET champion’s name.

“A meeting with president Zuma and many other progressive forces to forge the way forward is needed as early as January. I’m mobilising and I will make it happen, structures has failed us and they don’t listen to us when we tell them. Now we are going to handle this ourselves,” said Nathi Sithole. Some critics argue that perhaps the RET forces are planning on forming their own political party, especially after Carl Niehaus resigned from the ANC.”It’s long overdue. Carl Niehaus has already taken the first step.

You need to follow him and go on to form your own party. Rumour has it that a new political party, the All African National Congress is about to be launched. I guess it is this meeting you are planning with Zuma,” some said.It is however not clear what will be the agenda for Zuma’s meeting with the RET comrades especially after their defeat at the Nasrec conference.