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The Universal Zulu Nation has sent out a press release announcing that the organization is now “under new leadership.”

Amidst the controversy surrounding Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa and the child sex abuse and molestation allegations that have been made against him in recent weeks, the organization has announced that they are undergoing an “significant restructure.”

Per release:

The Universal Zulu Nation wishes to announce that it is currently under new leadership by the International and Regional U.S. Zulu Leaders. This will involve a significant restructure and will feature an in-depth re-assessment of how the organization will function to better serve our communities. As part of this restructure ALL accused parties and those accused of covering up the current allegations of child molestation have been removed and have stepped down from their current positions.

Over the coming months there will be significant changes to the organization in terms of roles, structure and establishing the policies any organization of our size should have in place. There shall also be a new move to work towards providing support for victims of abuse, rape and molestation and working more closely on other social issues existing in communities such as drug addiction, alcoholism and mental health.

We are saddened by current events. Not only because of the trial by social media of which we have been subjected to as an organization, but because until now the previous leaders and founders have been ineffective at being able to respond in a way which our members and associates deserve of us. Especially when our good work spreading the Zulu message has empowered communities worldwide. We would like to offer our sincere apologies for this.

The release does not call out Afrika Bambaataa by name, but it is pretty obvious who they are talking about. This is different stance from what the Zulu Nation took initially. When the claims of sex abuse and molestation against Bambaataa first surfaced, Zulu Nation responded by saying that the allegations were a part of a government plot to discredit the organization and bring it down.

Bambaataa has denied the claims through his lawyer calling them “baseless and cowardly.”

Four men have come forward to say that Afrika Bambaataa molested them in the late 1970s and early 1980s when they were teenagers. A man claiming to be Bambaataa’s ex-bodygaurd has also come forward saying that Bambaataa has molested “hundreds” of boys.

The statute of limitations in the crimes Afrika Bambaattaa is accused of have long passed so criminal charges cannot be filed against him.

Photo: WENN.com