Uganda: Keep Army Out of Politics, Says Zuma

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New Vision (Kampala)

17 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008

Milton Olupot
Kampala

THE president of the ANC, South Africa's ruling party, Jacob Zuma, has told African armies to stay out of politics.

The visiting ANC leader was yesterday speaking at the Oliver Tambo Leadership Institute in Kaweweta, Nakaseke, a former camp where many ANC freedom fighters against the apartheid regime were trained.

Without naming the countries, Zuma said: "In many instances African armies have become partisan. The national armies have taken roles in politics and this is endangering the continent. The role of the army must be found in its neutrality. It should not interfere with the role of the State."

Flanked by the NRM national vice-chairman Moses Kigongo, defence state minister Ruth Nankabirwa and deputy chief of defence forces Lt. Gen. Ivan Koreta, Zuma was led around the complex, under-construction by the commandant of the Institute Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza.

Former South African chief of defence forces, Gen. Siphiwe Nyanda, identified a trench where he used to sleep during training at the camp in the 1980s.

Zuma thanked President Yoweri Museveni for hosting the ANC fighters when they were expelled from Angola.

"We had been based in Angola but events had taken a turn in Angola and therefore we needed to leave there," he said.

"Not many countries would be ready to receive and accommodate armed guerrillas but Uganda was ready to do so. It was a big contribution by the people of Uganda."

The ANC leader said there was pressure from the relatives of the hundreds of fighters who died outside their country to have their bodies repatriated.

"We are seriously considering the matter and it is one of the biggest projects of ANC. Some of the fighters came from very poor families that can't travel to see the graves. As you know African tradition attaches importance to the dead."

Zuma, who is on a four day visit, said the students of the Oliver Tambo Leadership Institute will have a role to play in defending democracy and the gains of the Ugandan revolution.

"This institution, when it teaches all students that pass here the tenets of democracy, will have honoured the values cherished by President Oliver Tambo," he said.

"We were aware of the changing role of our army from a guerrilla force to an army in a democratic state whose role is to defend the constitution."

Former ANC president Tambo, who spent most of his life serving in the struggle against apartheid, died in 1993. Zuma promised he would return to attend the inauguration ceremony of the institute, expected to take place in October.

Earlier, Bantariza said the training complex will have 13 buildings, including a seven classroom block, a health centre IV hospital and a 600 capacity Oliver Tembo Great Hall.

The South African Government has contributed $1.5m for the transformation of the former rebel-training wing into a leadership training institute.

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