Phosa calls on Zuma and entire cabinet to step down
EX-ANC treasurer-general Mathew Phosa has called for President Jacob Zuma, his entire cabinet, members of parliament and ANC national executive committee members to resign immediately, because they are disconnected from the poor masses.
Addressing a memorial lecture in honour of late ANC stalwart O R Tambo at the Kuyga Community Hall in Port Elizabeth yesterday, Phosa said: “As things stand, the only one in the three centres of constitutional power that is functioning properly is the judiciary.
“Our executive, under the president’s leadership, has long ceased to illustrate that they have a sworn duty to uplift and protect the lives of the poorest of the poor.
“When I [refer to] the executive, or cabinet, I do not exclude a single member, whether he or she is a minister, or deputy minister or part of the executive presidency .... Not a single member of the cabinet is blameless in the deterioration of our economy.”
Phosa referred to gaps between the elected members and the poor as a massive disconnection between the nauseating comfort of the public representatives and the increasing poverty of ordinary South Africans. “The past five years have seen the gap between the haves and have-nots growing big. My proposal to the entire cabinet, the national assembly and the ANC NEC would be to resign and allow our voters to choose the leaders they want,” said Phosa.
He also took a swipe at ANC MPs in particular, saying future generations “will look at your pronouncements and decisions and find them to border on the treasonous”. His comments come while the National Assembly is awaiting speaker Baleka Mbete’s decision on whether she will allow a secret vote when opposition parties table a motion of no-confidence against Zuma next month.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula last week warned ANC MPs not to support the motion, saying anyone who did that would be behaving like a “suicide bomber”.
Addressing a press conference last week, Mbalula said there was no such thing as voting with a conscience among those deployed to parliament by a political party.
Several ANC leaders including the outspoken Makhosi Khoza, have been calling for ANC MPs to vote with their conscience.
Phosa supported Khoza’s call, saying: “I plead with you to vote with your conscience in the upcoming no-confidence vote.
“Failure to do so will be a betrayal of the Constitution and all that it represents.”
While Phosa was in PE, another presidential hopeful Lindiwe Sisulu was in East London, to size up her support in the area.
Phosa enjoys some support in parts of Mdantsane. Among those at the O R Tambo event were former Nelson Mandela Metro mayor Ben Fihla, who delivered a message of support for Phosa, Western Cape ANC activist and key Phosa campaigner Andile Lili as well as Nonki Plaatjie, the hosting branch deputy chairwoman.