Cope: More ANC MP resignations will follow Sizane’s

03 March 2016 - 09:36 By TMG Digital

The Congress of the People (Cope) said Stone Sizane’s sudden but unsurprising departure makes him the “second casualty” of the fallout over Nkandla. And more will follow as African National Congress (ANC) “MPs and members will break their silence and speak out against the wrong that is happening in the country”.“They will break rank with their president who had disgraced the ANC and the country‚” Cope’s Dennis Bloem said.It was announced on Wednesday that Sizani had resigned from Parliament with immediate effect to take up a diplomatic posting as ambassador to Germany. He will be replacing Makhenkesi Stofile‚ who is retiring.Bloem said Sizane’s departure “follows Paul Mashatile who had asked to be redeployed to Gauteng”.“Both of them were very vocal against this blind defence of Zuma‚” said Bloem.“Cope has reliably learnt from sources within the ANC that the last straw for Sizane was the sudden somersault of Zuma when he said that he is prepared to pay back a portion of the money illegally spent on his private residence in Nkandla.“After the ANC caucus endlessly defended the Nkandla issue‚ Sizane was one of those who felt betrayed by Zuma. He felt that his personal integrity is questionable in the public’s eyes.“We will not be surprised to see more resignations will follow from ANC MPs. It is believed that there are serious tensions in the ANC caucus. Apparently it is s so bad that some of the comrades are not even greeting each other.Cope’s comments echoed those of Democratic Alliance chief whip John Steenhuisen whp asserted that for the past three years Sizani had been forced to make a career of defending the indefensible in Parliament at Zuma’s behest‚ and had sustained numerous embarrassments in the National Assembly in the process.“During arguments in the Constitutional Court last month the president’s senior counsel‚ with complete disregard‚ also threw the ANC caucus under the bus for their participation in the Nkandla ad hoc committees‚ all in an attempt to protect the President‚” Steenhuisen stated.Tuesday’s Motion of No Confidence had further illustrated the ANC’s apathy in Parliament and some speculated the last straw for Sizani‚ Steenhuisen added.“His resignation is a clear sign of the growing rifts within the ANC – and of an ANC caucus which is collapsing under the weight of Zuma's maligned presidency."..

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