Save SA body wants Zuma to quit

A NEW civil society organisation, Save South Africa, is mobilising South Africans to force President Jacob Zuma to resign.

Yesterday the organisation’s steering committee wrote to Zuma requesting an urgent meeting to discuss his capacity to “provide the leadership required to chart a way to stability, economic growth and the realisation of the rights and promises contained in the constitution”.

The committee is led by the chairperson of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Sipho Pityana, and includes former finance minister Trevor Manuel and former public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan.

Others are Section 27’s Mark Haywood, Kathrada Foundation chief executive Shan Bolton and ANC member and activist Gugu Ndima.

“We wish to notify you that should you elect not to resign, we intend to approach the Speaker of the National Assembly requesting her to engage with all the members of Parliament to similarly consider the judgment properly and then take the appropriate measures to remove you as president in terms of section 89(1)(a) of the constitution.

“We request an opportunity to meet with you to discuss our concerns and the proposed action we believe you should take,” the letter read.

Save South Africa expressed “deep concern about the state of our nation and asks President Zuma to reconsider his position as head of state”.

“In particular (we ask) whether you can still be trusted and relied upon to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa, and obey, observe, uphold and maintain the constitution and all other laws of the republic as well as the other solemn commitments made when you took the oath of office.”

The letter further reads: “We suggest, Mr President, that you have put your personal interests ahead of the national interest, jeopardising the independence of key institutions and you have consequently lost the confidence of the people of South Africa.

“In these circumstances we are of the view that the only honourable course of action open to you now is to resign and allow the National Assembly to elect a president who will take the solemn oath of office seriously.”

The steering committee pointed out that the president had “not fully understood and implemented” the Constitutional Court ruling on the Nkandla matter, said Pityana.

“The court found you were in breach of your oath of office in that you failed to uphold and respect the constitution as the supreme law of the land. 
A careful and contextual examination of the unanimous judgment delivered by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng indicates that this constitutes a violation of grave constitutional import,” the letter said.