RUSTENBURG, June 10 (ANA)- The African National Congress needs to save itself by recalling President Jacob Zuma, the South African Communist Party in the North West said on Saturday.
“Recall Zuma. The national executive committee of the ANC recalled [former] president [Thabo] Mbeki; he did not refuse. It should be possible to recall President Zuma,” SACP North West secretary Madoda Sambatha told a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) report back rally in Rustenburg.
He said the ANC should not wait for Zuma to be removed by a parliamentary motion of no confidence.
“We do not hate a leader; we hate a leadership clique in the ANC captured on behalf of the Guptas, that use the Gupta money to buy the ANC membership. Tell the Guptas to get out of the ANC business, tell the Guptas to get out of the business of the alliance…,” he said to a chorus of applause from the crowd, standing up as he spoke.
Sambatha said ANC Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa should lead the ANC after the December elective conference. “If comrade Ramaphosa was not to be the ANC president he should not have been elected to be the deputy president in Mangaung in 2012.” The SACP was following the tradition that the ANC deputy president became president of the ANC.
The NUM has endorsed Ramaphosa as their preferred candidate to lead the ANC.
Sambatha, who was recently fired by North West premier Supra Mahumapelo as public works and roads MEC, said he would not endorse any protest march called in his name, and urged union members to unite.
“Stop dividing the leadership, stop running to head office, use available structures to resolve any misunderstanding. If you are elected please study so that when your term ends you do not confuse members. I was kicked out of the exco [North West executive council]. I do not have a problem with that. Please do not march in my name,” Sambatha said.
Mahumapelo fired Sambatha on June 1 following allegation that he had illegally sold state land in Mahikeng. Sambatha denied the accusation, saying he signed papers for the rezoning of the land he was alleged to have sold.
– African News Agency (ANA)
