Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma, who is heavily implicated in the explosive state capture report released on Wednesday, had brought nothing but shame on South Africa and the ANC through his abuse of state power and resources.
This was the opinion of ANC stalwarts who are demanding a meeting with the embattled president, who is also leader of the party.
The group of stalwarts, which includes prominent anti-apartheid figures, were concerned at the “blatant looting of state resources”.
They blamed the ANC’s misfortunes on Zuma’s divisive leadership, saying the party was bleeding membership under the watch “of the crowd in charge now” and they wanted to clean up the mess.
On Thursday, the ANC stalwarts, who include Reverend Frank Chikane, Rivonia Trial accused Andrew Mlangeni and Ahmed Kathrada, and former SAA chairperson Cheryl Carolus, addressed the media in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Chikane said the fact that more than 100 ANC stalwarts had come together indicated the level of concern about the direction the country was taking under Zuma’s leadership.
He admitted the party was facing a crisis.
“The stalwarts feel it is critical at this point to have a direct interaction with the president and the top six (of the ANC) to discuss the crisis the movement is facing, which is impacting negatively on this country,” said Chikane.
They also criticised the ANC for effectively denying them an opportunity to meet with Zuma over the many scandals which are associated with his administration.
The ANC couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
On Tuesday, former president Thabo Mbeki wrote to Zuma, urging him to meet the veterans as they had “advanced extremely serious observations about the current situation as it relates to the ANC and the democratic revolution”.
To ensure the ANC remained loyal to its values and obligations, Mbeki urged the people of South Africa and Africa to “demand that the current leadership of the ANC, with you at its helm, engage the veterans”.
Carolus said they were “deeply upset” about recent events, adding: “Our country is burning and the ANC is missing in action. We are appalled by the flagrant disregard of our constitution and the rule of law.”
She accused Zuma of surrounding himself with “dodgy characters”.
Chikane said the former liberation movement was beginning to be “on the wrong side of history”.
The right side of history was about serving the interests of the people of South Africa and not oneself.
Zuma has admitted that the ANC was in trouble and risked losing relevance, like several other former liberation movements.
“I think it is important for us to be aware we have reached a point that many former liberation movements reached.
“After two decades (in power), the challenges become too many. Some (movements) split, some change the posture of their government… I believe our movement has reached that point,” Zuma said last week.
The president is facing sustained calls from within the ANC, civil society, the business sector and opposition parties to step down over his flouting of the constitution, the Nkandla scandal and the controversial axing of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister, among other reasons.
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