Johannesburg - South Africans have been urged to hold silent protests wherever President Jacob Zuma makes a public appearance.
By doing so, they would be showing their support for the call to “Save South Africa from Jacob Zuma”, Save South Africa said on Wednesday.
It made the call during the launch of the People’s Motion of No Confidence against Zuma at the women’s jail in Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, on Wednesday.
While addressing rallies in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal last week, Zuma asked those who supported the campaign to tell him what they were saving South Africa from.
On Wednesday, businessman Sipho Pityana, who is among the Save SA leaders, replied: “From you, Mr President.
“We’re saying no to the use of state-owned enterprises as piggy banks for the corrupt, and the use of state institutions to further the agenda of political factions.”
He said the campaign was saying no to a president who refused to sign a new law to prevent money laundering.
“We are saying no to a president who we see as the champion of corruption, and who sees nothing wrong with attempts at state capture.
“We are saying no to a president who admits that he knows people are stealing from the state, and rather than lock them up, says he’d rather bide his time and write a book about it. Does this not make him an accessory to criminality?”
Pityana accused Zuma of having virtually handed over the power vested in him by the electorate “to a coterie of shady and unscrupulous characters”.
In an apparent reference to the Guptas, Pityana said Zuma, the president and his family had benefited from his association with the family.
“We consider this an outright assault on our nationhood, our flag, our sovereignty and our constitution.”
He urged South Africans to go full swing on their no confidence campaign on December 10, when the country celebrates the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the constitution.
ANC Struggle stalwart and Rivonia Trial accused Ahmed Kathrada and other ANC supporters also attended the launch of the campaign.
The Star