Zuma a disaster - Patel
Dipak Patel, a senior ANC member and former Umkhonto weSizwe operative, has said it is time to "rid ourselves of this home-grown disaster of a president".
In an editorial written for The Times, Patel says there is "a threat to our constitutional paradigm".
He says South Africans need to mobilise in the days running up to the parliamentary vote on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma, which was initially scheduled for Tuesday but has now been postponed pending a court application on the matter.
IN FULL: Ex-ANC operative vows to mobilise against Zuma ahead of no-confidence vote I was at the Kathrada memorial in Durban on Sunday. In my old neighbourhood.
Patel wrote the piece after attending the chaotic memorial service in Durban on Sunday for struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, which was disrupted by the ANC Youth League.
He said there was "a pregnant possibility of ridding ourselves of this home-grown disaster of a state president".
Patel was part of Operation Vula with others such as Pravin Gordhan, Mac Maharaj, Siphiwe Nyanda, Billy Nair and Curnick Ndlovu.
"The Operation Vula triallists were granted indemnity in 1991. They, with hundreds of other ANC comrades, dedicated themselves to working towards a nonracial, nonsexist and democratic South Africa - a South Africa that would see an end to apartheid and that would usher in a future in which all citizens would get a chance to improve their lives.
I'm staying, says Zuma President Jacob Zuma used his 75th birthday celebrations to cement his position as the country's head and ease the concerns of his supporters amid growing calls for his removal from office.
"What we have now is a serious threat to that historic mission. Some have usurped power, have begun to threaten our constitutional paradigm and are, it seems, intent on furthering their own enrichment.
"It's time to defend our hard-earned gains and to do this within and outside our movement. It's time for a broad unity to stem the decay and speak with one voice for renewal of our historical mission."