More voices call on Zuma to step down
Ndileka Mandela speaks at rally
Late former president Nelson Mandela’s eldest granddaughter Ndileka has become the latest figure to publicly call on President Jacob Zuma to step down.
Ndileka made the remarks at the newly launched Freedom Movement’s reasonably wellattended rally at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria yesterday.
She told Sowetan on the sidelines that she supported the call that leaders should listen to the people. “The founding docu- ment of the ANC, which is the Freedom Charter, says that the people shall govern.
“And that means that people have the right to call that government to account,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Zelda la Grange, Mandela’s longterm personal assistant, was more scathing. “We want to say: Mr President, please do the dignified thing and listen to your people.
“We want a president that respects the constitution, all people in South Africa and a president that respect himself enough to step down when
people ask him to.” La Grange said Mandela respected people.
“He spoke about ethics so he himself became unashamedly ethical.”
Zuma has, however, said the recent nationwide marches against him showed racism was still alive in the country.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said civil society groups – churches, non-governmental organisations, universities and business have come together to save the country’s democracy from a corrupt government.
“We have come together because we believe that freedom must be fought for in every generation,” Maimane said.
Maimane hinted of a possibility of a coalition government in the 2019 elections.
“Coalitions governments are the way forward,” he said.
ACDP president Kenneth Meshoe said Zuma does not deserve to be called the number one citizen of South Africa.
“Let all ANC members understand ... we do not hate President Zuma, but we love our country much more,” he said.