South Africans who are aggrieved with their president have a date.
Leaders of civil society yesterday converged at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg to urge all South Africans to take a stand against President Jacob Zuma, who has breached his oath of office.
ANC veterans, academics and church leaders gathered in the Constitutional Court grounds to declare they could not stand by while Zuma “trampled” on the constitution.
“On Saturday 16 April 2016, we call on people to hold organised discussions in villages, townships, churches, mosques, informal settlements, sports clubs and cultural associations about how we can secure the resignation of President Zuma.
“We call on you to discuss what is wrong with the country and, more importantly, what is needed to put it right,” the group said.
Present were former Constitutional Court Judge Zak Yacoob‚ former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi‚ former ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola and former Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils. Other senior ANC leaders, including former deputy secretary Cheryl Carolus and former Home Affairs DG Mavuso Msimang were also present and calling on Zuma to step down.
“Freedom Day, April 27, is around the corner. We call on everyone to make this a day of action.
“This year we must use Freedom Day to reclaim a freedom that has been stolen by Zuma and all who are like him.”
The call came as the ANC again scrambled to explain its decision not to support the parliamentary motion calling for Zuma’s impeachment. Using its majority, ANC MPs staved off a united opposition assault on Zuma on Tuesday, with 233 voting against the motion while 143 MPs wanted Zuma gone.
Yesterday the ANC caucus in parliament said it wanted to establish why it was allegedly given the incorrect legal advice on how to deal with the Nkandla debacle.
Party chief whip Jackson Mthembu said even their own colleagues had warned them that their position on dealing with the Nkandla matter was incorrect.
Yesterday Standard & Poor’s cut its 2016 growth forecast for South Africa by half, warning that pressure on the nation’s credit rating came mainly from slow economic expansion.
S&P associate director Gardner Rusike said a focus on politics and political tension could divert the government’s attention from policy implementation to boost growth.
These developments come as the anti-Zuma voice swells, with the ANC’s Sefako Makgatho branch in Johannesburg breaking ranks with the party and joining the cry.
The branch said that should the ANC fail to recall Zuma, he should be subjected either to the party’s integrity commission or its national disciplinary committee.
“The president should be temporarily suspended so that he doesn’t unduly influence the disciplinary proceedings,” said the branch. They also called for a special national conference to discuss and resolve on the matter.
The latest call comes a day after former finance minister Trevor Manuel added his weight to the call for Zuma to be axed.
Outside the steps of the Constitutional Court the aggrieved group said they would not stop until the “head of the rot is removed”.
They said they did not want “one thief to be replaced with another”.
Vavi said the unfolding political events represented South Africa’s “darkest hour”.
“We are going through a constitutional crisis, and we have a responsibility to defend our country.”
Kasrils reminded the audience that Zuma’s moral values were questionable even in 2005 when he was charged with the rape of a child of his late comrade.
He said Zuma’s moral conduct was always suspect, even when he was in exile.
“It was a disgraceful trial. We knew about this problem in exile but we kept quiet and did not do anything about it,” he said.
Carolus said she was deeply saddened by what happened in parliament this week when the ANC protected Zuma and acted against the constitution. “History has every right to judge us,” she said.
Remove ‘head of the rot’
Leaders of civil society yesterday converged at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg to urge all South Africans to take a stand against President Jacob Zuma, who has breached his oath of office.
ANC veterans, academics and church leaders gathered in the Constitutional Court grounds to declare they could not stand by while Zuma “trampled” on the constitution.
“On Saturday 16 April 2016, we call on people to hold organised discussions in villages, townships, churches, mosques, informal settlements, sports clubs and cultural associations about how we can secure the resignation of President Zuma.
“We call on you to discuss what is wrong with the country and, more importantly, what is needed to put it right,” the group said.
Present were former Constitutional Court Judge Zak Yacoob‚ former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi‚ former ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola and former Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils. Other senior ANC leaders, including former deputy secretary Cheryl Carolus and former Home Affairs DG Mavuso Msimang were also present and calling on Zuma to step down.
“Freedom Day, April 27, is around the corner. We call on everyone to make this a day of action.
“This year we must use Freedom Day to reclaim a freedom that has been stolen by Zuma and all who are like him.”
The call came as the ANC again scrambled to explain its decision not to support the parliamentary motion calling for Zuma’s impeachment. Using its majority, ANC MPs staved off a united opposition assault on Zuma on Tuesday, with 233 voting against the motion while 143 MPs wanted Zuma gone.
Yesterday the ANC caucus in parliament said it wanted to establish why it was allegedly given the incorrect legal advice on how to deal with the Nkandla debacle.
Party chief whip Jackson Mthembu said even their own colleagues had warned them that their position on dealing with the Nkandla matter was incorrect.
Yesterday Standard & Poor’s cut its 2016 growth forecast for South Africa by half, warning that pressure on the nation’s credit rating came mainly from slow economic expansion.
S&P associate director Gardner Rusike said a focus on politics and political tension could divert the government’s attention from policy implementation to boost growth.
These developments come as the anti-Zuma voice swells, with the ANC’s Sefako Makgatho branch in Johannesburg breaking ranks with the party and joining the cry.
The branch said that should the ANC fail to recall Zuma, he should be subjected either to the party’s integrity commission or its national disciplinary committee.
“The president should be temporarily suspended so that he doesn’t unduly influence the disciplinary proceedings,” said the branch. They also called for a special national conference to discuss and resolve on the matter.
The latest call comes a day after former finance minister Trevor Manuel added his weight to the call for Zuma to be axed.
Outside the steps of the Constitutional Court the aggrieved group said they would not stop until the “head of the rot is removed”.
They said they did not want “one thief to be replaced with another”.
Vavi said the unfolding political events represented South Africa’s “darkest hour”.
“We are going through a constitutional crisis, and we have a responsibility to defend our country.”
Kasrils reminded the audience that Zuma’s moral values were questionable even in 2005 when he was charged with the rape of a child of his late comrade.
He said Zuma’s moral conduct was always suspect, even when he was in exile.
“It was a disgraceful trial. We knew about this problem in exile but we kept quiet and did not do anything about it,” he said.
Carolus said she was deeply saddened by what happened in parliament this week when the ANC protected Zuma and acted against the constitution. “History has every right to judge us,” she said.
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