JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s opposition parties would embark on a national march to the Union Buildings next week as part of their ongoing efforts to remove President Jacob Zuma from power.
Leaders of the Democratic Alliance (DA, the United Democratic Movement (UDM), Inkatha Freedom Party IFP, United Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), Congress of the People (Cope) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) held a meeting in Johannesburg.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the parties coming together to remove Zuma after the highly criticised Cabinet reshuffle last week that removed Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas from their posts as minister and deputy of finance, was not about the governing African National Congress (ANC), but its leader and country’s head of the executive: Zuma.
“What we are saying in the short term, is that we are working to remove Zuma. All of us are fully behind [a] motion of no confidence against Zuma. This is not an academic exercise…we’re serious about this, this is why we came together collectively because we choose South Africa,” Mmusi said.
“This motion is not about the removal of the ANC…the ANC was voted into power by the majority of people of this country and through a democratic process which all of us respect…this is not a regime change, it is the removal of one man from power as a result of the crisis he keeps unleashing in this country.”
The leaders said they were confident their various ways of trying to unseat Zuma would be fruitful. This included mass action and protests and the EFF’s application to the Constitutional Court seeking the court to give a directive to Parliament to take action against the president after its landmark Nkandla ruling 12 months ago.
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