Parliament – MPs from Parliament’s smaller political parties threw their weight behind a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma in a heated debate on Tuesday afternoon, but acknowledged they were likely to fail given the ANC would use its majority as a trump card.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa went as far as calling on South Africans to join hands and “reclaim their freedom” by demanding Zuma’s resignation, failing which they should see to it that he’s immediately charged for violating the Constitution.
“President Zuma’s unlawful actions have sunk the executive, the National Assembly, the nation and his political party and put the country at a crossroads,” said Holomisa.
Given that the Constitutional Court ruled that the National Assembly breached the Constitution when it failed to properly deal with the directives of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that Zuma pay back the money used to effect “non-security” upgrades to his private Nkandla residence, Holomisa said Parliament should be immediately dissolved and elections held within the next six to 18 months.
Inkatha Freedom Party MP Narend Singh, like others, called on ANC MPs to vote with their conscience.
“Saying no to this motion would not only be morally and ethically unconscienable but would also be a violation of your sacrosanct oath of office…,” said Singh.
“Today is not about South Africans against the ANC. It’s about responding to the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law. This is about saying to 11 Constitutional Court judges thank you for applying your minds and leading our nation.”
National Freedom Party chief whip Nhlanhla Khubisa called for electoral reform.
“We deserve a president who puts South Africa first, not one who puts his political party first. Perhaps the time has come to take a serious look at the way our country’s president is elected,” said Khubisa.
He suggested the president be directly elected by the country’s citizens, instead of parties deciding who the president will be.
“This process does not guarantee that the best person for the job is elected,” Khubisa said.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder read out a statement by Zuma on his predecessor Thabo Mbeki’s recall from office, saying the ANC should have replicated the actions as Mbeki’s “mistakes were 10 times less serious than Zuma”.
“Today the ANC members have the opportunity to search their conscience and offer their leadership. Sir, if ANC members once again ignore the facts of the last week….take my word for it, history will in a couple of years from now judge them very harshly and negatively.”
Congress of the People (Cope) leader Mosiuoa Lekota called on Parliament not to be complicit in Zuma’s disregard of the Constitution.
“We pay too much. We paid with the best years of our lives in the prisons…we will not allow a mob of men and women who have no regard for the Constitution to play games with the future of our children and grandchildren.”
African News Agency
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