Call for president Zuma to step down grows louder!
Michael Dingake | Tuesday April 4, 2017 17:30
‘Pay Back The Money’ chant became the signature tune every time he appeared in Parliament to answer questions. The two opposition parties didn’t stop at making political propaganda noises in the media after the verdict; they tabled a Motion of No Confidence in President Zuma, which didn’t succeed due to ruling ANC parliamentary majority.
‘Pay Back the Money’ chant, amplified even after the President had agreed to abide by the CONCOURT decision, to pay back the millions of rand he owed.
His woes didn’t stop at Nkandlagate; the DA, official opposition in Parliament, exhumed 783 corruption charges against Zuma, which the prosecution had withdrawn under dubious circumstances. It never rains but pours: Zuma was soon faced with another scandal dubbed ‘state capture’ from allegations by Deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas, who alleged he had been offered R600,000 by the Gupta family for promotion to position of full Finance Minister to serve their business interests.
Jonas was not the only one promised elevation on the ladder of upward mobility, if they scratched Gupta family’s backs. A short probe by the retiring Public Protector, smelt a rat and recommended further investigation by an independent Judicial Commission.
The cacophony for Zuma to step down grew louder, echoed by ANC members outside and inside Parliament. ANC Chief Whip in parliament, Jackson Mthembu demanded, the President, step down with his whole executive; ANC veterans added their voices; Ahmed “Kathy” Kathrada wrote a critical letter to President Zuma, asking him to step down!
Comrade “Kathy” died Tuesday, March 28, 2017; he was buried according to Muslim rites the following day. Speeches eulogised him as humble, incorruptible, man-of-integrity, true revolutionary leader. Speakers harped on the same theme.
When Kgalema Motlanthe. interregnum President following President Thabo Mbeki resignation, ascended the stage to ‘tell it as it is!’ He read Kathy’s letter, calling on Zuma to step down. Mourners forgot the solemnity of the occasion, and broke into a pandemonium of a standing ovation, when Motlanthe read that part of the letter.
Few sat unmoved, while the multitudes of mourners whistled and cheered. The call for Zuma to resign was vibrant and palpable in the funeral marquee.
Incidentally, Kathrada’s family had banned the President from attending the funeral. One was grateful for his absence. His presence would have been a red rag and embarrassment would have been hard to bear.
Not all ANC members demand Zuma’s resignation. Many endorse him and in life and death! His term of office, he has to complete firing popular Ministers and retaining deadwood. It’s his prerogative!
Does the ANC wish to govern beyond 2019? Of course it’s keen to implement its Freedom Charter policy as well as the new National Development Plan to deliver goodies to the masses.
The party, which prefers to continue to be referred to as the liberation movement, wouldn’t like to loosen its grip on the levers of power to accomplish its mission. Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas reckons the ANC is at crossroads! Which way to go? Left, straight ahead, right or backward? It needs to find its compass.
Two options: Either it persuades Zuma to step down, or its MPs vote with the opposition on the motion of No Confidence. Both options aren’t easily achieved.
Zuma seems implacably resentful to resigning. Compromise isn’t his style. He wants to stay put to end of his term, in 2019. What happens to the ANC seems his least of his worries.
He schemes to keep his defences impregnable. Pushes out dissidents to his rule in the executive, while he reinforces his flanks with his loyal constituencies: ANCWL and the ANCYL.
In the Cabinet reshuffle he has deliberately replaced the unwanted Ministers with Women and Youth. Support of the two constituencies was prominent during his corruption, rape trials and struggle for power against Mbeki. The ANCWL was always there for him; and Julius Malema was ready to kill for him.
Colleen Maine the new ANCYL President is just as loyal. Three provinces, known as the ‘premier league, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West are known to be unwavering in his support. His antagonists may be the veterans and the SACP, only recently perceiving him as a liability. His faction is stronger!
Whether MPs can ditch president Zuma and vote with the opposition is doubtful for the following reasons: First, the ANC is divided; a good number will support him right or wrong; second, ANC like any mass organisation has fence-sitters galore, characters without opinion either way; third, there’s the constitution provision on ‘motions of no confidence’ against the President: if a majority in Parliament supports such a motion, the whole Cabinet, Ministers and Deputy Ministers must go with him!
I don’t know the rationale for the provision. The upshot is cabinet will be reluctant to be victimised with the President, when they don’t support his political delinquency; fourth, there is also the vanity of ruling party MPs suffering a sense of betrayal and belittlement when seen supporting a motion tabled by their adversaries, to humiliate their party leader!
Supporting a No Confidence motion tabled by the opposition may be daunting for ANC MPs despite the fact that they may agree with it. Prospects of a stalemate are very much alive! The mettle of the ANC as a revolutionary party stands to be tested!