‘I serve at president’s pleasure’

“I SERVE at the pleasure of the president, and If I’m fired, it will be at the pleasure of the president,” Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

He was asked by opposition party members in the National Assembly to confirm or deny speculation that he was next in line to be axed by President Jacob Zuma.

“When I was appointed deputy president, I accepted the appointment because it’s the president’s prerogative to appoint anybody to the executive. And if a decision is made to remove me, I will accept it, and I will continue serving the people of South Africa in one form or another,” Ramaphosa told MPs.

The question came a week after Zuma chopped one of his fiercest critics, SA Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande, from his cabinet.

Earlier this year, Ramaphosa came out publicly against Zuma regarding the firing of Pravin Gordhan, the country’s respected former finance minister.

Gordhan was, and remains, outspoken about the looting at stateowned enterprises, something Ramaphosa was also grilled on.

“We have a president who the ANC elected with 783 charges of corruption hanging over his head. You were silent then,” said IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa.

“The law enforcement agencies have been captured, you were silent. Your silence has aided and abetted the prevalence of corruption in the country. Why should we believe you now when all along you have run away from realities presented before you?” – ANA