Not like father, like son? Duduzane Zuma backs LGBTQI+ rights

Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma is apparently set to launch a new political party – one that backs the rights of LGBTQI+ people, in contrast to his father’s less enlightened stance.

According to News24, the younger Zuma recently unveiled the name of his party as All Game Changers (AGC).

This was announced on a WhatsApp group of supporters last week, along with a policy memo that addressed the LGBTQI+ community.

The memo, which we have been unable to view or source independently, states that AGC will “empower and protect women and children who are the most affected by gender-based violence, while still empowering males to behave respectably, making the protection of our women and children a priority. This extends to the LGBTQI+ community ensuring all rights of identity are protected”.

It’s unclear how advanced Duduzane’s plans are to officially launch the party and we have been unable to find a website or social media presence for AGC. In January, he said he intended to stand as an independent candidate in the elections.

Like his father, Duduzane has courted considerable controversy over the years, being charged with culpable homicide in a deadly accident with a Porsche and being linked to scandals surrounding the Gupta family, which he has denied. In 2021, during the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, he called on looters to “please do so responsibly”.

Duduzane has been a staunch supporter of his father and his political views, including backing the launch of the older man’s own new party, uMkhonto weSizwe, in December.

The two do seemingly diverge on the matter of LGBTQI+ rights. The disgraced former president recently raised alarms within the queer community by appearing to call for the reversal of same-sex marriage rights in South Africa.

It was reported that he told over 3,000 supporters in Pietermaritzburg earlier this month that same-sex marriage was undemocratically legalised and lacked support from the majority of South Africans. He stated, “If we win as a party, we would change the repressive laws which are anti-democratic.”

Jacob Zuma has made anti-LGBTQI+ statements dating back to 2006, when he labelled same-sex marriage as “a disgrace to the nation and to God.”

He also infamously stated: “When I was growing up, unqingili [‘a homosexual’] could not stand in front of me. I would have knocked him out.”

While Zuma later claimed his comments were misinterpreted and apologised, his latest alleged remarks on same-sex marriage cast doubt on the sincerity of that apology.