Parliament – A senior African National Congress (ANC) MP on Tuesday described a motion of no confidence against South African President Jacob Zuma, introduced by the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), as a “dirty trick”.
“Honourable pastor Maimane, the new testament says only the truth will save you. Please tell the truth because the noise that you make here has to do with your anger and frustration at the achievements of the African National Congress,” said Mathole Motshekga, former ANC chief whip.
“Honourable pastor Maimane, apartheid used dirty tricks to mislead the nation and you are doing the same…”
Motshekga insisted that Zuma was legitimately elected by more than 11 million South Africans.
“It is absolutely clear that the DA does not understand the Constitution of the Republic and that’s why we need as a matter of extreme urgency Constitutional literacy classes for the DA,” he said.
Earlier, DA leader Mmusi Maimane referred to Zuma as “the biggest sell-out”.
Maimane was jeered and interrupted several times as he declared: “Jacob Zuma sold out when, as Deputy President, he took a R500 000 bribe from Schabir Shaik.
“He sold out when he recalled a sitting State President who stood in his way of absolute power.”
ANC MPs interjected, insisting Maimane be warned to refer to Zuma as “honourable” or “his excellency”.
Maimane ignored the warnings, and referred to Zuma without any prefixes, hitting back at ANC MPs who have often labelled him a “sell-out” and leader of a racist party.
“Racism is evil and we must condemn it. But it cannot be that if you are white and you don’t agree with the ANC, you are called a racist, and if you are black, you are called a sell-out,” he said.
“The ANC of today call us sell-outs, but they don’t see that, slowly but surely, the people of South Africa are beginning to realise who the real sell-outs are.”
African News Agency
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