By More protests planned to holds Wednesday as Zuma turns 75
By Anthony Opara
Following in the wake of nationwide protests which literally crippled the nation on Friday, parties opposed to the continued stay in office of embattled President Jacob Zuma are preparing a spectacular birthday bash for him as he clocks 75 on Wednesday, April 12.
Friday’s protests involved thousands of South Africans, including the veteran anti-apartheid icon, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
As part of the plans for the proposed ‘mother of all protests,’ opposition parties are now looking towards undertaking even more massive action to coincide with what would ordinarily have been ‘Zuma’s great diamond jubilee day’ in what they have presently tagged ‘a national day of action.’
If all plans pull through, The Difference has learnt that this gathering will be held on the day that Zuma celebrates his 75th birthday, on Wednesday, April 12.
The participating political parties include the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), African People’s Convention (APC), Congress of the People (COPE), Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM), and they have presently joined forces in the calls for Zuma to stop down.
The parties will march to the Union Buildings, just days after thousands of South Africans took to the streets in protests held across the country, demanding that the president step down.
The parties say they believe the president should step down because:
– Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle of four finance ministers in three years has plunged the country into “junk status”. International ratings agencies have downgraded South Africa and this will lead to high interest rates levied on home, car and student loans, to high food prices and to a bigger fiscal debt.
– Zuma used an unsubstantiated and bogus intelligence report to remove a competent minister and deputy minister of finance, and replaced them with under-experienced yes-men. This means he uses state security agencies to fight political battles.
– Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle was not in the best interests of the country in that it protected and rewarded incompetent ministers who have thrown state institutions into disarray like Faith Muthambi (SABC) and Bathabile Dlamini (social grants).
– The Constitutional Court found that Jacob Zuma acted illegally, unlawfully and failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution in that he disregarded the public protector’s remedial action on the Nkandla corruption.
– Because this is a violation of the Constitution and his oath of office, Jacob Zuma is not eligible to be president of South Africa under a constitutional democracy and constitutional supremacy.
The EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the marches sent a message and were a vote of no confidence in Zuma, before calling on the country to join in the protest on Wednesday.
“We call on all South Africans to come out in even more numbers on 12 of April, 2017 on the National Day of Action to continue our rolling mass action against the Zuma regime. We must all not retreat until Zuma steps down and a new president is inaugurated in South Africa.”
A protester waving a red card for embattled President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Friday
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