Why removing Zuma is problematic for the ANC - and the opposition
On Monday I ran a poll in which I asked people to indicate which direction they would vote if they were MPs. More than 97% said they would vote for the President to GO.
How would Ace Ncobo vote?
My take on the matter is that the motion itself is not a genuine attempt by the DA to remove President Zuma. You see, President Zuma is a very important part of the opposition's strategy to win the elections in 2019. Without him dragging the image of the ANC down with the many scandals he's associated with, perceived or real, the opposition election strategy falls flat.
None dare challenge the ANC on matters of policy. If the ANC had perfect leaders at all levels opposition parties would never collectively poll more than 5% of the vote. We give them almost 50% because we have leaders that, through sins of commission and omission, make it their business to donate votes to the opposition.
President Zuma has been the biggest donor of votes to the opposition. His removal from office would take away much of the mileage that the opposition gleans from his numerous scandals.
Now, on the face of it, it would sound prudent then to remove what gives the opposition power to attack the ANC and therefore garners more votes for them right? Wrong!
Our MPs must NOT vote in favour of ousting President Zuma. I would NOT vote for his removal too if I were there.
My decision would have nothing to do with President Zuma, nothing to do with conscience, nothing to do with 'toeing the party line' and definitely nothing to do with being scared of a 'Jackson Mthembu political and economic nuclear bomb'.
Whilst we can't fault the argument that the Supreme law of the land, Constitution Act 108 of 1996, supersedes the Constitution of every political party, we must never lose sight of the fact that governing a country is a POLITICAL exercise.
There are political considerations that take centre-stage in the decision-making process of the individual MP and collectively as a parliamentary caucus. The key question therefore is not whether to follow the party line or go with the conscience as many have been suggesting.
The key question is political. What are really the political ramifications of removing President Zuma? That, my dear friends and comrades, is the real question.
Removing him as State President does not remove him as ANC president. We have a 2007 Conference Resolution that says the ANC president shall be the President of the country. Removing him now contravenes that resolution. But that's a very small matter in the political space, so let's leave it.
The biggest political crisis that his removal will do will be to wipe out every single grain of political value that the ANC still has, having played into the hands of an opposition ploy.
Why did we allow ourselves to arrive at this mess in the first place? Let us tell the truth. We DO NOT have a constitutional instrument in the ANC to remove a sitting ANC president. That's a fact. When we crafted the ANC constitution we had the likes of Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela in mind and not Zuma.
My final take on the matter is that there's only one instrument we have in our hands, the 2007 resolution.
Right in the December Conference, as soon as the name of the new ANC president is announced, as a delegate I will propose that right there and then President Zuma should resign as State President and be replaced by the newly elected President at the earliest possible sitting of the National Assembly, in line with the 2007 resolution.
Just four months comrades before this happens.
-- Ace Ncobo is expressing his personal views and not those of any ANC structure.