Opposition parties don't have the interest of the people at heart #NoConfidenceVote - KZN amakhosi and religious leaders
7 August 2017
Durban - Counter-revolutionary elements acting as the custodians of the hopes and aspirations of South Africans are on an onslaught to delegitimise the ANC, KZN religious and traditional leaders said on Monday.
The leaders from eThekwini Interfaith, National Interfaith Council of SA (Nicsa) and amaKhosi held a media briefing in the Durban City Hall before holding a prayer outside.
"We decided to issue the public statement to condemn the planned marches in support of the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma organised by the opposition parties," said Bishop Timothy Bheki Ngcobo.
The marches are expected to take place countrywide, ahead of the no confidence vote against Zuma on Tuesday.
"We see the agenda of these counter-revolutionary forces as reckless and ill-conceived in light of the efforts by government to inspire investor confidence as part of reigniting the country's economic prospects," said Ngcobo.
The leaders said they have no doubt that "this motion will be stillborn or defeated with an overwhelming mandate".
The religious and traditional fraternity accused opposition parties of having no interest of the people and country at heart for calling for the motion of no confidence against Zuma.
"This is an attempt to gain political power through the back door. We are against this attempt aimed at subverting the will of the people to advance narrow and self-serving political interests by the opposition," said Ngcobo.
He said they were concerned about the abuse of instruments of the State, including the justice system, to "undermine the separation of powers and the very ANC that brought about this democracy".
"This is a frantic campaign to rewrite history because we know that some are pushing such decoy narratives in the vein hope that this will exonerate them from the sins they committed as apartheid agents and apologists," said Ngcobo.
'Let him finish his term'
They said they wanted to know "why there was a sudden rush to remove a democratically elected Zuma"?
"We are already counting a few months before the governing party elects its new president. In addition, the democratic elections that will pave the way for the new term of office of government are scheduled to take place in 2019," said Ngcobo.
They said they believed that the democratic elections are the only tool that should be used in the country "to enable millions of people to exercise their will".
"Allowing only few opposition parties to dictate, the agenda of millions of people, who should be the president and who should lead government will reverse the gains we have made," said Ngcobo.
When asked whether they were meddling in politics, Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi said they were only defending the country's democracy.
Nonhlanhla Nkomo, secretary of National Unitary Professional African Traditional Health Practitioners, said they were praying for peace and an end to political killings.
She said they were against the motion of no confidence against Zuma.
"Let him finish his term," said Nkomo.
A group of members from the Rastafari faith as well as members of the ANC Women's League also joined the prayer.
