Ramaphosa decries booing and insults
Humiliation of any deployee of ANC must end in bid for unity
AS CALLS grow for President Jacob Zuma to step down, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has slammed any attempts to humiliate Zuma saying no deployee of the ANC should be subject to such treatment.
Ramaphosa was speaking to the SABC yesterday, a day after the ANC’s 106th anniversary bash at East London’s Buffalo City municipality where sections of the crowd repeatedly booed Zuma.
“We should never have a situation where we subject any of the deployees of the ANC to humiliation. We want our members to desist from booing and insulting and showing disrespect to the leaders of the ANC. Public display of disapproval of anyone through booing is something we want to rid the ANC of,” he told the SABC in an interview.
While non-committal on whether Zuma will be forced to step down before the end of his term, Ramaphosa said the ANC would deal with the matter and any decision that would be taken would be in the interests of the country and not of any individual.
The matter is expected to feature at the first ordinary meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee this week. NEC members told Independent Media that they had not seen the agenda as the six officials of the party were due to meet this morning to finalise the agenda for the meeting.
Ramaphosa said the issue of having the president of the ANC and that of the country being different people was a “delicate” one.
“Some see this as two centres of power but we don’t see it in that way. There is only one centre of power… President Zuma is a deployee of the ANC,” he said.
Ramaphosa continued talking tough on corruption, especially on allegations of state capture, saying the hour for accountability had arrived.
While thanking Zuma for setting up the commission of inquiry into state capture, Ramaphosa said the prosecution of those involved in state capture should also happen without delay where there is evidence of wrongdoing.
He said there was no doubt that state capture had happened, adding that money was lost while some money “might be in the process of walking out”.
Zuma supporters have warned that the removal of Zuma needs to be handled carefully as it could divide the ANC. Zuma still commands a lot of support in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal but his detractors want to see his back as they believe he is costing the ANC and may prove even a bigger liability should he remain in office.
Some of the ANC structures supporting Zuma argue that he should complete his term so that Ramaphosa focuses on rebuilding the party.
ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza said the removal of Zuma before the end of his term would divide the ANC. He said the “old man” still has the capacity to rule the country. “The smooth transition will only be achieved if Zuma remains in his position. President Ramaphosa should use the remaining two years to focus on fixing the ANC and unite it… ” said Nzuza.
Veterans league president Snuki Zikalala said Zuma’s booing was a sign that many want change. He said Zuma’s leadership of the country has caused immense damage. ”We cannot have two centres of power. The NEC realises that we cannot have two centres of power. Once the ANC is in trouble the country is trouble, the continent is in trouble,” he said.