Johannesburg – The Economic Freedom Fighters will not participate in President Jacob Zuma’s quarterly question-and-answer session in the National Assembly scheduled for Thursday, the party said on Wednesday.
The EFF said it did not recognise Zuma as the country’s president and wanted him “‘to resign to save the country and the economy from further decline”.
“The EFF believes that Zuma should not be afforded the respect and courtesy deserving of a president because he does not respect his oath of office, including the calling of his office,” the party said.
Zuma is expected to answer tough questions from opposition parties in Parliament on Thursday. According to the published question paper, Zuma will be asked about the country’s economy, which faces a drop to junk status by credit ratings agencies, and about who he consulted before firing former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and appointing backbencher David van Rooyen, before backtracking amid pressure to reappoint Pravin Gordhan to the post.
The questions-and-answer session comes a day after deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas admitted that he was offered Nene’s post by the wealthy Gupta family, who have close ties to Zuma.
The EFF alleges Zuma has misled Parliament in his previous question-and-answer sessions.
“Zuma has stood in many question and answer sessions like this one and told members of Parliament lies without any consequences. First, he said he received a loan from FNB to expand his private homestead in Nkandla when he did not.”
“He also said there was no money he had to pay in relation to the Nkandla undue expenditure and later said he had not said so. His actions have undermined the office of the Public Protector and sought to render ours a lawless country where a president cannot be held accountable. The Constitution charges him as President to protect its institutions of democracy, and in defying the Public Protector he failed to protect the Constitution.”
African News Agency
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