Only people’s power can now recapture the state, says Save SA
The campaign said the ANC missed a golden opportunity to change tack and remove Zuma from power.
The Save South Africa campaign, led by African National Congress (ANC) veteran and businessman Sipho Pityana, says it’s deeply disappointed with the ANC national executive committee’s decision to keep Jacob Zuma as the country’s president.
The campaign said in a statement on Tuesday the ruling party had missed a golden opportunity to change tack and that only people’s power could now recapture the state.
“The ANC has turned its back on South Africa. And the NEC’s failure to remove Zuma must be interpreted as a further endorsement of corruption and misgovernment‚” it said.
On Tuesday the ANC briefed the media after its extended NEC meeting in Irene, Tshwane. The gathering of top party officials has been described as the most “serious” and direct challenge to Zuma’s leadership, which shocked his staunch supporters. However, ANC party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the NEC had resolved that it would work towards party unity instead of recalling Zuma from office.
Save SA said its campaign continues even stronger than before and its so-called people’s motion of no confidence against the president was now more important than ever. It said one week after it launched an online petition calling for Zuma’s removal‚ which has already been signed by more than 25 000 people.
“Our call for Zuma to go and the call from growing numbers of people and organisations, inside and outside the corridors of power, will not go away. In fact, we are more committed than ever to ensuring that Zuma’s scandal-riddled leadership comes to an end, and soon.
“We can understand that many South Africans are disappointed, perhaps even angry at the NEC’s decision to keep Zuma in place. It suggests the ANC fails to understand the extent of disapproval of this corrupt and captured leader – outside the ANC and, increasingly, inside the ANC Alliance and within the leadership of the ANC itself,” it said.
“But the ANC’s decision only strengthens our resolve to continue mobilising civil society as a collective voice, and we encourage South Africans to sign our People’s Motion of No Confidence in Zuma. This is South Africa’s way of saying: the ANC has failed us. It is now up to civil society,” Save SA added.
The campaign also said it commended ANC members who were principled during the extraordinary NEC meeting and challenged Zuma’s hold over the structure, saying they clearly listened to their conscience.
“We also commend the stalwarts for initiating this discussion inside the ANC and their consistency and commitment to acting in the interests of the South Africa they fought so hard to liberate. It is telling that Zuma, in contrast to the stalwarts’ selflessness, is prepared to cling to power in the face of so much pressure from inside his own organisation, and from outside.
“If Zuma cared about anything other than himself, he would have done the right thing and tendered his resignation to the NEC over the weekend.”
The campaign said in a statement on Tuesday the ruling party had missed a golden opportunity to change tack and that only people’s power could now recapture the state.
“The ANC has turned its back on South Africa. And the NEC’s failure to remove Zuma must be interpreted as a further endorsement of corruption and misgovernment‚” it said.
On Tuesday the ANC briefed the media after its extended NEC meeting in Irene, Tshwane. The gathering of top party officials has been described as the most “serious” and direct challenge to Zuma’s leadership, which shocked his staunch supporters. However, ANC party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the NEC had resolved that it would work towards party unity instead of recalling Zuma from office.
Save SA said its campaign continues even stronger than before and its so-called people’s motion of no confidence against the president was now more important than ever. It said one week after it launched an online petition calling for Zuma’s removal‚ which has already been signed by more than 25 000 people.
“Our call for Zuma to go and the call from growing numbers of people and organisations, inside and outside the corridors of power, will not go away. In fact, we are more committed than ever to ensuring that Zuma’s scandal-riddled leadership comes to an end, and soon.
“We can understand that many South Africans are disappointed, perhaps even angry at the NEC’s decision to keep Zuma in place. It suggests the ANC fails to understand the extent of disapproval of this corrupt and captured leader – outside the ANC and, increasingly, inside the ANC Alliance and within the leadership of the ANC itself,” it said.
“But the ANC’s decision only strengthens our resolve to continue mobilising civil society as a collective voice, and we encourage South Africans to sign our People’s Motion of No Confidence in Zuma. This is South Africa’s way of saying: the ANC has failed us. It is now up to civil society,” Save SA added.
The campaign also said it commended ANC members who were principled during the extraordinary NEC meeting and challenged Zuma’s hold over the structure, saying they clearly listened to their conscience.
“We also commend the stalwarts for initiating this discussion inside the ANC and their consistency and commitment to acting in the interests of the South Africa they fought so hard to liberate. It is telling that Zuma, in contrast to the stalwarts’ selflessness, is prepared to cling to power in the face of so much pressure from inside his own organisation, and from outside.
“If Zuma cared about anything other than himself, he would have done the right thing and tendered his resignation to the NEC over the weekend.”
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