South Africa

Politics, South Africa

Bheki’s Ordinary People: Zuma off the hook

Bheki’s Ordinary People: Zuma off the hook

South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, has failed to discipline the party’s and country’s President Jacob Zuma on numerous crucial times. It was the same on Tuesday when the party’s Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe told journalists that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will not recall Zuma. And, while the party’s decision not to recall Zuma raises serious questions of integrity, more and more people now believe that the ANC’s DNA is so venal that it will never recover from the years of plundering by Zuma and his buddies. Here’s how some South Africans reacted to the news. By BHEKI C. SIMELANE.

Johanna Mapeko, 45, Johannesburg

The ANC NEC have shown that they do not have the interests of the country at heart. They only lead for their own selfish gain. The lot of them are crooks and are doing everything to help their master stay out of jail. Zuma no longer even deserves to be associated with our government. He has failed the nation. All of them have. As for the ANC, I can just say that there is no ANC. Zuma’s and this party’s existence was annulled by the Constitutional Court when it found earlier this year that Zuma had broken his oath of office. No ANC, no President. South Africa is currently without a President, so said the biggest court in the land. All that should happen now is a revolution. Everything has failed against this man. It’s time South Africans united and sought a revolution. Let’s go to the Union Buildings, let’s go to Luthuli House, to Parliament and let’s go to Nkandla. What choice do we have? We are governed by masters of the art of corruption.”

Andrew Jaftha, 39, Johannesburg

President Zuma doesn’t care, either for this country or his family, because if he did he would have resigned a while back and saved his family and the country all the humiliation and heartache. I wasn’t really shocked that the ANC NEC failed to recall the man. He has them by the balls and all they can do is lend their own hands to help him. As a leader, Zuma is as good as dead. The Constitutional Court rang the death knell earlier this year. It’s not the first time the ANC shielded him, and now that they have decided to keep him, it’s surely not the last. This just proves that the ANC is well ahead in its self-destruction path. Of all this country’s presidents, Zuma has shown himself to be massively corrupt and this is why he must step down now. The only man standing between Zuma’s horrific reign and the emancipation of South Africa is Julius Malema. He is the only person brave enough to lead a revolution to oust this man.”

Bonginkosi Mkhize, 31, Johannesburg

I never really expected the ANC NEC to let President Zuma off the hook this time. I looked back at all the scandals, most of which he has been found guilty, and thought here is a survivor of a man. The ANC’s continued defence of Zuma is not in the interests of South Africans and will hurt the country eventually. We remain unemployed in years. Zuma is not fit even to lead the man on the street. There are just too many right-thinking South Africans who are not buying the ANC NEC’s reasons for not recalling the current president. I guess now it’s in the hands of the real government, true government. The people. The people should fire him because with him at the helm, it’s been scandal after scandal. By the time these scandals die down, if they ever will, we will turn around to find that the country has been stolen. This government has lost all competency, and only a revolution will work now.”

Buyani Ndlovu, 25, Johannesburg

The ANC NEC did the right thing by showing their continued support for Jacob Zuma. Unlike those who are calling for his resignation, I haven’t seen any one person that is fitter than President Zuma. There is just no one fit enough to take over even if he did resign. The allegations that keep being levelled against him have no basis and are not reason enough to get rid of a sitting head of state. Some of the accusations have no evidence of wrongdoing at all. If you look at Nkandla for instance, how can you punish somebody for improving their homestead? How is that in any way a criminal offence? Zuma’s government might have errors, but this does not mean that Zuma is a bad leader. Those who find error in him should look at individual members of his Cabinet. Zuma shouldn’t fall.”

Thabang Makibi, 32, Johannesburg

The ANC NEC guys have a lot to gain from Zuma’s stolen presidency. Yes, it’s stolen. Remember, the Constitutional Court rendered him unfit to lead after it found that he had failed to respect the Constitution of the country. This continued shielding of man who doesn’t deserve such protection will no doubt come at a cost for the ruling party. So the NEC’s decision to keep Zuma means he will lead the country until 2019. After all he’s done? They can’t be serious. We have a crisis of the man’s making now, and it can’t wait for 2019. South Africans should rise up against the ANC and forcefully remove Zuma from the presidency now. Now he is a threat to the very democracy that the ANC so fondly claim to have fought for. He leads a corrupt and undemocratic government. He must go.”

Lulama Memela, 30, Johannesburg

Our country is run by a Mafia. The country is run by a callous mob. It’s obvious that others like Minister of Water Nomvula Mokonyane were bound by their loyalty to him. For me it’s no longer about the ANC NEC failing to remove him, they failed long ago. It’s about how the people of South Africa are failing themselves. When Zuma said he knows the criminal, many might have misunderstood him. He was hinting at the criminals who work around him. Some Cabinet members. Many Cabinet would not risk going against Zuma because if he goes down, he will take them down with him. The South African public can no longer be numb and ignorant to what is happening in the country. I say, coup.”

Pam Mzwakali, 33, Johannesburg

President Zuma should step down. A lot has been said about all his scandalous reign already. How do we even make people understand that as South Africans we are concerned about the safe keep of our democracy when we let ourselves be led by someone whose private life is ever all over the news. I’m not going to mention that he has already been accused of rape, even though found not guilty. I won’t mention how he spent public funds on costly improvements to his private residence. Zuma must step down.”

Raymond ‘MJ Wa Azania’ Hlungwani Age N/A

The ANC NEC is scared of Zuma, partly because the majority of the NEC support him. They are just afraid to face reality because they run the risk of losing their jobs and lavish lifestyles. In reality a person like Fikile Mbalula does not support Zuma, but just because he is on his payroll, he’s bound to jump to his defence. However, the increasing number of NEC members speaking against him in favour of Ramaphosa serve as a reflection that soon, maybe even before June next year, the President might be standing alone or even resign. Ramaphosa’s campaign is gaining momentum.” DM

Photo: Mangaung December 20, 2012. President Jacob Zuma on the last day of the ANC’s 53rd conference which saw Zuma tighten his hold on the ANC. Photo Greg Marinovich / NewsFire

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