Political‚ labour and business organisations welcome Zuma’s recall but say exit must be swift

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) welcomed the ANC NEC decision to recall President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday.

BLSA CEO Bonang Mohale said: “The refusal to resign shows Mr Zuma‚ and his defenders and supporters are driven by nothing more than avarice‚ myopia and unbridled self-interest‚ and it demonstrates that he’s uniquely unfit to hold this important office.”

The impasse over Zuma’s tenure had created debilitating uncertainty for the economy as it had deferred events such as the State of the Nation Address (Sona).

“It’s now important to end the two-week chaos. We urge the ANC’s new leadership to act swiftly‚ but constitutionally‚ in removing their deployee from the high office so that work of recovering our future which was imperilled by his ruinous regime – characterised by incompetence‚ corruption‚ state capture and low economic growth – can begin in earnest‚” said Mohale.

“The task of rebuilding and strengthening the economy in order to address the triple challenges of poverty‚ unemployment and inequality cannot be postponed any further.”

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane‚ however‚ said the recall was merely an internal ANC resolution which had no effect on Zuma’s status as president of the republic and could be simply ignored by Zuma.

“Unless he tenders his resignation‚ this recall is not worth the paper it is printed on‚” said a statement by Maimane.

“The only way to remove Jacob Zuma as president of our country is for Parliament to do so through a motion of no confidence. It is Parliament that elects and removes a president‚ not the ANC.

“Therefore‚ the EFF’s motion of no confidence‚ provisionally scheduled for February 22‚ must be treated as a priority and brought forward to within this week‚ in order for Parliament to remove Jacob Zuma‚” he added.

Parliament could‚ thereafter‚ be dissolved by the National Assembly followed by an early election.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) welcomed the move but noted that Zuma had apparently refused to resign.

“The federation is not at all surprised by this level of intransigence and total inebriation with power by President Jacob Zuma‚” said a statement issued by national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla.

“While the idea of not humiliating him was gracious from the new leadership‚ we think the time has arrived for the ANC to stop this undistinguished political theatre and put the country first. We call on them to recall President Zuma using parliamentary processes and if it means supporting the motion of no confidence that was tabled by the EFF‚ so be it.”

This is a developing story.