Opposition slam ANC for closing ranks

OPPOSITION parties have slammed the ANC’s decision to close ranks and instruct its MPs not to back a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

This response came yesterday after Speaker Baleka Mbete confirmed the motion would be debated on April 18.

She arrived at her decision after consulting with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu.

Spokesman for Parliament Moloto Mothapo said Mbete had followed the law in ensuring the debate happened as requested by opposition parties. “The Speaker’s consultation process followed these specific provisions in the constitution and the assembly rules, taking into consideration the urgency of the matter and the reality that MPs are currently working in their constituencies across the country.”

Opposition parties said the ANC National Working Committee’s decision effectively allowed Zuma to continue with his disastrous policies.

DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said the party hoped individual ANC MPs would vote with their conscience.

“The ANC cannot be exempt from their role in the crisis. They have allowed a culture of impunity to take root, defending Zuma at every turn, undermining our democratic project,” said Van Damme.

ACDP leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe also called for ANC MPs to vote with their conscience and said the opposition would continue to urge them to do so. “If we are downgraded to junk status by the other two ratings agencies, Fitch and Moody’s, nobody will invest in us. They must help us to remove him in the interest of the country,” he said.

Meshoe said food prices would shoot up if more downgrades followed.

IFP deputy national chairman Albert Mncwango said the motion of no confidence had in the past been a futile exercise because the ANC always voted against the removal of Zuma.

But the situation has changed now, with a groundswell of support for the removal of Zuma from both within and outside the ANC.

He said the SACP and Cosatu’s stance on Zuma was telling and they too wanted Zuma gone.

“As the IFP, we are looking beyond Zuma, because we are saving South Africa. The impact of Zuma’s leadership has serious consequences for the future of the country and our children,” he said.

Cope spokesman Dennis Bloem said they knew that ANC MPs were bound by loyalty to the party and it would be difficult to vote against Zuma.

“I will agree with what the SACP and stalwarts have said, that it is the ANC that must sponsor the motion of no confidence in Parliament,” he said.

Security will be beefed up in the Durban CBD tomorrow as authorities brace themselves for potential violence as marches against and for Zuma are staged.

Both the SAPS and metro police said they had upped their reinforcements.

“Security has been beefed-up. Operations have been planned with police officers from all the SAPS units to monitor the situation on the day. A large number of police officers will be deployed at the identified hotspots,” said SAPS provincial spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Superintendent Sibonelo Mchunu of metro police, who said his department had also “upped reinforcements”.

Yesterday the DA announced that its march would start at the Old Durban Drive Inn site, proceed along the beachfront promenade and end at the amphitheatre on the beachfront.

This week the ANC Youth League warned that those marching against Zuma would be met “pound for pound” on the streets.

On the same day, an organisation calling itself the Black Empowerment Foundation said it had organised a march in support of the government. Ryan Bettridge, who is the executive member of the foundation, said they would march to the Durban City Hall.

Bettridge said the foundation was a non-profit organisation which wanted to ensure that the economy was unlocked for the benefit of all South Africans.

He said his organisation supported the government’s passion for radical economic transformation.

In a WhatsApp message circulated yesterday, the foundation called on the public to join its marches at major centres.

“Let’s stop and fight in defence of what our government has gained over the years. Let us gather in our numbers and show them who the country really belongs to.”

DA leader Zwakele Mncwango said the DA-led march was for all South Africans and not only for party members.

Mncwango said he was not concerned that there were proZuma marches that might take place on the same day.

“Everyone has a right to exercise their right to march as long as they have been granted permission for that march.”

The National Union of Metalworkers said it would not be participating in any marches.

“This is a fight between two factions with similar intentions. It is a fight between white monopoly capital and the emerging capitalists led by the Guptas.

“Both factions are not interested in serving the working class and therefore we will not be part of their battles,” said Mbuso Ngubane, provincial secretary of Numsa.

The Right2Know campaign said no protest action had been planned for KwaZulu-Natal.