Dr Naledi Pandor: They took advantage of Jacob Zuma’s kindness during his tenure as president

Former International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, had a lot to say about her observations in her extensive political career.

She opened up in Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh’s podcast, SNWX, on what it was like to serve under now Umkhonto weSizwe’s Jacob Zuma presidency and how he was treated during his presidency.

“President Zuma was a lovely person you know…He is very kind and engaging. But I think not fully engaged on the details of the issues but he was well read.

“For someone whom they said did not complete primary school, he was a reader and I was often surprised…He was perhaps too kind and accommodating and so, people took advantage,” she said.

Pandor emphasised that Zuma was a lovely person that she worked well with as the president and said he was approachable. “You could got talk to him if you had a problem.and he would help to address it.”

Under former president Thabo Mbeki, Pandor said what she noticed was his attention to detail.

“He was meticulous. Every document would have been read and he understood the different portfolios. And he knew his own mind and what he wanted,” she said.

She described President Cyril Ramaphosa as being ‘interesting’ and great with numbers.

”On occasions he has saved our economy because with some numbers he’d just say, ‘forget about it, we’re not venturing into that.”

Pandor also shared that her introduction to politics was deeply influenced by her family’s involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle. She mentioned that her greatest inspiration was her father.

Under former president Zuma’s presidency, she took on a number of ministerial roles, including heading the Department of Home Affairs.

“When he (Zuma) called me to his office and told me, I was like what? Home Affairs? Me? And I was right to be horrified. It was difficult.

The African National Congress (ANC) stalwart said corruption was rife within the department. “Corruption was the worst. Our own public servants were involved in selling documents of our country. Visas, IDs were being sold off. Home Affairs gave me grey hair.”

-IOL

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