Hanekom calls on Zuma to heed calls

FORMER tourism minister and ANC national executive committee member Derek Hanekom says ANC leaders including President Jacob Zuma need to start listening to the people and alliance partners, and step down when called to resign.

“If you are the president of the country, serve the country with honesty and diligence. If you are the deputy president, do the same, if you are a minister do the same. It is not about targeting individuals, but if an individual starts going wrong, that individual must be able to say I hear you. I hear Cosatu, the SACP, I hear the veterans, I hear the integrity commission, I hear half of the NEC, I hear Kathrada,” said Hanekom.

“How many more people must say please Mr President, help us get out of these difficulties times? Not because we hate you, not at all. We love our movement, but we believe you are in a position to help us.”

Hanekom was addressing hundreds of ANC supporters at the Khayelitsha Cadres Forum at Noluthando special school as part of Freedom Day celebrations yesterday.

He was among the ministers axed by Zuma when he reshuffled his cabinet – a move that has led to calls for him to step down as the country’s president.

While it was within the president’s right to change his cabinet, the ANC had resolved during its Polokwane conference that this be done in consultation with the party’s officials and alliance partners, said Hanekom.

“The difficulty with what happened just four weeks ago and the truth is that it was not done in consultation. A lot of us were expecting something to happen because it goes back to Nkandla, to the axing of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister.

“We know comrade Pravin was brought in in a crisis to help us resolve the crisis. But we know ever since then he has been viewed as someone standing in the way of further corruption. We knew it was coming. The alliance knew it was coming. When the president informed other leaders of the SACP that it was his intention to replace comrade Pravin with Brian Molefe, they said no. It is not about Brian Molefe, but we have read the “State of Capture” report,” he said.

Hanekom told the cheering crowd many ANC officials such as secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa were still angered by Zuma’s move.

“That was wrong. It is not how we conduct our business in the ANC. We must bring people with us,” he said. “I don’t know yet (if I will vote the ANC). It is not a given, because we are forever snowed under in an avalanche of wrongdoing and there will be a tipping point,” he said.

“I think we will see the ANC lose its majority. It will definitely muster less than 50% plus one, primarily because you are dealing here with incorrigibility.”