Opposition parties back call for summit

LEADERS of opposition parties have endorsed calls by the UDM for political parties and civil society to convene a national summit to find solutions to what he described as a crisis facing the country, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said yesterday.

“We are forming a steering committee to prepare for the summit. This will start the ball rolling,” Holomisa said.

“We will meet to discuss how to formalise the invitation and to include other sectors of society.”

Holomisa said the parties would meet soon to decide on the date for the summit.

Earlier this week, Holomisa said there was a need to find a “vehicle” for all stakeholders, irrespective of political affiliation, to hammer out a common future for South Africa as a matter of urgency.

His call came hot on the heels of another meeting of opposition parties that preceded a joint march to the Union Buildings calling on Zuma to step down.

Last week, the UDM, later joined by the EFF, lodged an application with the Constitutional Court seeking the use of a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence against Zuma.

Yesterday, Cope’s spokesperson Dennis Bloem said: “We fully support that move (a national summit) if it is to speed up the process of removing Mr Zuma from his position.”

Although he was unaware if his party had taken a decision, as he was not party to meetings with other party leaders, Bloem said Cope would work with other opposition parties to ensure there was change in the country.

The IFP’s Albert Mncwango said although he was unaware of a formal invitation from the UDM, “There is no doubt that this country is going down the drain and a solution has to be found. I don’t think we would be averse to the proposal.”

Mabine Seabe, spokesperson for DA leader Mmusi Maimane, said it was important for the parties to come together to decide on the future of South Africa.

He said the status quo was not good at all, hence the need to decide on the country’s future.

Seabe referred Independent Media to the joint statement of the opposition parties, in which they “agreed there is a need for a summit that brings together political parties and civil society to discuss the state of South Africa”.

Holomisa said the ANC could not be relied on to overcome the challenges facing the country.