The letter of recall delivered to president Jacob Zuma by South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC), the party which deployed him to his post as head of State, is not worth the paper it's written on, the country's biggest opposition party said on Tuesday.
"This recall is an internal ANC resolution, and nothing more. It has no effect on Jacob Zuma’s current status as President of the Republic and can be simply ignored by Zuma. Unless he [Zuma] tenders his resignation, this recall is not worth the paper it is printed on," said Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane in a statement shortly after the ANC announced its decision to recall Zuma.
"The fact is, Jacob Zuma remains President and remains in power. And as long as this is the case, our country suffers."
Maimane insisted that the only way to remove Zuma if he refuses to resign is a motion of no confidence. A motion of no confidence, tabled by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has already been scheduled for February 22.
Maimane and other opposition leaders want the motion moved forward to this week, and in addition want early elections.
"Anyone who wants to be the next President of this country must have the mandate of the people, and this can only be established through an early election," the opposition leader said.
"The people must elect the new South African President, not a few connected cadres within the ANC."
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said that he welcomes the decision to recall Jacob Zuma as the President of the Republic of South Africa.
“It has taken far too long for this to happen, once it became patently clear, years ago, that he was not fit to hold the highest office in the Country,” he said.
“We can rightly say that the African National Congress (ANC) only reached this decision because of the continued, consistent pressure exerted by opposition parties; civil society; and the media, who played a critical role in exposing institutionalised corruption such as #GuptaLeaks,” said Holomisa.
He said, “if it wants to be taken seriously, the ANC, which has been protecting Zuma at all cost, must own up to this mess and immediately charge Zuma and his fellow gangsters”.
Business Leadership South Africa also welcomed the ANC’s decision to recall President Zuma after he refused to step down.
CEO, Bonang Mohale, said:” “The refusal to resign shows Mr. Zuma, and his defenders and supporters are driven by nothing more than avarice, myopia and unbridled self-interest, and it demonstrates that he’s uniquely unfit to hold this important office.”
“We urge the ANC’s new leadership to act swiftly, but constitutionally, in removing their deployee from the high office so that work of recovering our future which was imperiled by his ruinous regime, characterised by incompetence, corruption, state capture and low economic growth, can begin in earnest,” said Mohale.
(ANA - additional reporting Algoa FM)
