South African opposition parties unite against Zuma

South Africa’s opposition parties believe that filing another motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma will not be a futile exercise this time as they gathered here Monday to discuss the president’s Cabinet reshuffle announced early last Friday.

The Democratic Alliance ( DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters ( EFF), United Democratic Movement ( UDM), Inkatha Freedom Party ( IFP), and other political parties gathered IN Emmarentia, Johannesburg, to discuss the Cabinet reshuffle in which Zuma sacked finance minister Pravin Gordhan as well as his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas.

They have now been replaced by Malusi Gigaba as Finance Minister and Sfiso Buthelezi as deputy.

The opposition parties have pledged their support to the requests by the DA and the EFF for National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete to urgently convene a sitting of the Assembly to take forward a motion of no confidence in the president.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane says it’s time for Zuma to vacate the Union Buildings.

“Opposition parties are united in their call for Zuma to go and our belief is that the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic must always be upheld. We maintain that the choice South Africans need to make is quite simple: is it Zuma or South Africa? We maintain the two cannot coexist.”

The DA has previously filed motions of no confidence in the president and failed.

The opposition parties say they are lobbying members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to join them but would not divulge names.

EFF National Chairperson Dali Mpofu says the Constitution allows for opposition parties to file this motion especially in a time of crisis.

“We are now bringing the motion of no confidence on the basis of a different reason, which is the crisis the country has been plunged into now,” he adds.

“That is why it is important to lobby around what Mr Maimane was saying, which is either Zuma or South Africa. That is really the issue now because if members of the ANC do not see that their own stalwart, Ahmed Kathrada, said that the president must step down, (it is) an anti-ANC thing.”

Congress of the People ( Cope) leader Mosiuoa Lekota says it’s time to change South Africa for the better, and reverse the ruling party’s mistake of putting Zuma as its leader.

Opposition parties say they will also lead a protest to the Union Buildings, the seat of government in Pretoria, next Wednesday and are calling on members of the public to join them.

They are also expected to hold a summit on a way forward for South Africa later in 2017. — Bernama