SACP demands Zuma 'confirm or deny' plans to fire Ramaphosa

06 February 2018 - 20:04 By Timeslive Reporter
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Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Jacob Zuma.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Jacob Zuma.
Image: Siyabulela Duda/The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa Follow/Flickr

The South African Communist Party has made a startling claim that President Jacob Zuma was preparing to fire Cyril Ramaphosa - and that he was planning to “overstay his welcome”.

Based on what it described as “emerging information”‚ the SACP demanded that Zuma confirm or deny the rumours that he was going to remove Ramaphosa as deputy president.

In a statement‚ the SACP alleged that Zuma was planning on using Amabutho - a Zulu military regiment – as “part of his plan to continue overstaying his welcome in office”.

The content of the statement was confirmed by SACP spokesman Alex Mashilo.

“The South African Communist Party condemns tribalism in the strongest terms possible and the ethnic mobilisation‚ including that of Amabutho‚ that President Jacob Zuma has apparently engaged in as part of his plan to continue overstaying his welcome in office.

“The SACP further challenges President Zuma to‚ as a matter of urgency‚ deny or confirm emerging‚ and considering his desperation probably credible‚ information that he is preparing to fire Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa anytime from now and replace him with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma‚ who he wants to position to take over as Acting President should he find himself removed from office‚” the statement said.

It continued that‚ because Dlamini-Zuma was Zuma’s preferred candidate to replace him as ANC president‚ such a move would make it “very clear that President Zuma is also determined to divide and destroy the ANC through unrepentant factional conduct”.

“The SACP reiterates its decision for President Zuma to resign and for the ANC to recall him if he remains intransigent by refusing to resign. The Constitution requires the president to unite‚ and not to divide‚ our nation. President Zuma's conduct is reckless and unacceptable. The SACP is calling on all South Africans to unite in defence of our country and not allow him to go down with our hard-won democracy‚” the statement said.

On February 6, 2018, National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete announced that Sona has been postponed indefinitely. Sunday Times political reporter Qaanitah Hunter explains why this happened and what could happen next.


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