Nuke deal to blame for SA political crisis‚ says activist

South African human rights activist Kumi Naidoo says if President Jacob Zuma had any decency he would resign.

Naidoo‚ who was given an honorary doctorate in social science by the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday‚ used his acceptance speech to urge South African leaders to end corruption.

The former head of Greenpeace International was recognised by the university for his outstanding contribution to the South African struggle for democracy‚ the international fight against climate change and the struggle against poverty and injustice.

Speaking to TMG Digital afterwards‚ Naidoo said the situation in South Africa right now was tragic.

"What we see is a complete lack of progressive‚ effective‚ meaningful leadership and the capture of powerful state institutions to advance the interests of a very narrow number of political leaders and their allies.

"The fact that the nuclear deal is still being talked about when we know that its too expensive‚ too dangerous and will deliver too little too late for people in rural areas‚ is an indication that the deal is driven by outside interest as well as the interest of uranium companies such as Shiva Uranium‚" he said.

Naidoo added that the axing of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas was because the nuclear deal was being pushed hard.

"If people think the arms deal had a lot of corruption in it‚ this nuclear deal if it goes ahead will make the arms deal look like a Sunday morning picnic.

"We have an ANC that has been captured and a state that has been captured‚ the fact that Zuma didn’t follow process in the cabinet reshuffle. President Zuma still has hundreds of corruption charges against him. He should face them.

"If he had any decency he would resign. President Zuma and the people around him must understand‚ you can fool some of the people all of the time‚ all the people some of the time‚ but you can never fool all the people all of the time.

"That is what is coming home to roost now in the aftermath of the mobilisation we are seeing following Ahmed Kathrada’s funeral. The fact that Zuma didn’t have a decency to acknowledge the letter by one of the senior leaders in our country’s history‚ one of the closest friends and comrades of Madiba. He should read the letter again and act on the advice from Kathrada‚" said Naidoo.

Kathrada wrote a letter to Zuma last year‚ asking him to step down following the Constitutional Court ruling that Zuma had failed to uphold‚ defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law with regard to the Nkandla matter. - TMG Digital/The Times