Cape Town - In an unprecedented move, the city council will be lobbied on Thursday to add their voice to the growing dissent against President Jacob Zuma.
The DA’s Mzuvukile Nikelo is expected to table a motion at the full council meeting asking for members to support a call for Zuma to resign from office.
In a motion on Thursday’s agenda titled, ‘Council resolves to defend our constitution’, Nikelo is asking the council to condemn, what he says, is Zuma’s failure to uphold, defend and respect the constitution.
“If those of us privileged to be elected to serve the people of Cape Town fail to defend our constitution and abandon the fundamental values of our young democracy, we are not worth of the positions we hold nor of the trust and aspirations of those we serve,” said Nikelo in his motivation for the motion.
Citing the findings of the Constitutional Court ruling on Nkandla, Nikelo said despite calls from civil society, religious leaders, trade unions, ANC elders, ANC branches, opposition parties and ordinary South Africans calling on Zuma to resign, the president remained in office because he was “protected by some in the governing body”.
“His protectors have had to perform intellectual gymnastics in an effort to justify why our president escapes constitutionality, accountability and the rule of law, and why should he not feel the sharp and mighty sword that stands ready to chop (off) the ugly head of impunity.”
Nikelo said the city council needed to demonstrate that Cape Town embodied democracy and supreme law, and that it did not believe any person was above the law nor free to act with impunity.
If the matter is debated, the motion is likely to face opposition from the 72-member ANC caucus in the council.
Speaker Dirk Smit said if the majority of members accepted the motion, a letter would be written and sent to Zuma’s office, informing him of the city council’s view of his presidency.
Cape Argus