Interests of the people are being betrayed
THE front page Sunday Tribune Herald article “Name and shame list shakes ANC”, which appeared in last week’s edition, refers.
ANC Phoenix constituency office administrator Stanley Moonsamy’s posted on the ANC “rats” – who voted with opposition parties against President Jacob Zuma in the motion of no confidence debate in Parliament – that “we should put a tyre around their necks and burn them”.
That statement demands his expulsion from the party.
Many of us still have vivid memories of how alleged spies and traitors were “necklaced” – tyres were placed around their necks, doused with petrol and set alight, killing them.
How did we reach such a situation where the ANC is calling for the necklacing of fellow comrades?
How did we allow our glorious movement to reach such a sorry state?
The motion of no confidence was not against the ANC, but against a corrupt president of the party and the country.
Zuma, the man empowered by the constitution to protect and promote the country’s interests, facilitated a silent coup.
He made it possible for the Gupta brothers to get deep into the venous system of our body politic.
Under his watch our country, state owned enterprises and the Treasury have been donated to a foreign Indian family.
To protect himself and the criminal network that surrounds him, Zuma has engineered the weakening, undermining and destruction of institutions such as Parliament, the police, the intelligence services, the prosecuting authority and, it also seems, the public protector’s office.
The #Guptaleaks have revealed that Zuma and the Guptas have a plan to flee to Dubai should things go horribly wrong.
Should such a person continue to govern a people to whom he no longer owes total loyalty?
As an ANC member of long standing, I am disappointed that President Zuma was not toppled by the motion of no confidence, which was conducted in secret.
I am sure the majority of right thinking South Africans share my sentiments. RAMESH SUKDEO Sydenham THE president survived the eighth motion of no-confidence. Only this time it was too close for comfort as many ANC members ignored the party directive and voted with the opposition to get rid of Zuma.
By a margin of just 21 votes the president and his cabinet were allowed to continue ruling.
Opposition parties hailed this as a major victory. The voting process was also unprecedented as for the first time voting was via secret ballot. One could ponder the outcome if members had not been allowed to vote secretly.
However being a democratic process, ANC leaders Jeff Radebe and Zweli Mkhize are asking for MPS who did not toe the party line to explain their actions.
Maybe this is rhetorical because these leaders are trying to maintain the credibility of the office in the eyes of the electorate and sending a strong message that they are unhappy.
The question is: what mechanisms will be used to discipline members since they voted in a secret ballot? If this ever happens, secrecy will be compromised. VIJAY SURUJPAL Phoenix