Jacob Zuma lives to loot another day – for now

Today clearly marks the beginning of the end for the worst South African president in post-apartheid history.

Jacob Zuma may have survived his eighth parliamentary vote of no confidence, and lived to loot another day – but he only made it by the skin of his teeth, and he’s now living on borrowed time.

And it would be foolhardy for anyone to think of this is a victory for Zuma. It is nothing more than survival – by the narrowest of margins.

The fact that so many ANC MPs voted against their own president only confirms that the cracks are growing by the day inside the ANC and what remains of its Alliance, and that Zuma’s ‘popularity’ is at an all-time low.

Even someone as dismissive of public opinion as Zuma cannot ignore the fact that a significant number of his own party’s MPs no longer want him as their leader. They showed that in the run-up to the vote, when they spoke publicly about his destructive leadership, and again when they entered the ballot box to vote against him in the National Assembly this afternoon, in defiance of intimidation and threats from party bosses.

Save South Africa salutes the many brave ANC MPs who put their country first!

It is also clear from the growing number of protests, rallies and marches around the country – including today, with rallies and protests across the country -- that the people of South Africa are sick and tired of Zuma’s presidency, and that they want him out.

We are more inspired than ever to get Zuma out of office, to stop state capture, and to reclaim our country. And we call on all South Africans to join us in the next, final wave of struggle to isolate Zuma even further and ensure that he is recalled by his own party -- sooner rather than later.

Today, because of Zuma, many ANC MPs still put party and president before country. From tomorrow, they need to think long and hard about the future.

The performance in Parliament by ANC MPs will have done nothing to reassure South Africans that the ANC has their best interests at heart. Rather than heeding the voice of the people, the ANC is reverting to war-talk and references to coup-de-tats and “regime change”. This is deeply concerning to all who care about democracy, and indicates a party that is increasingly disrespectful of the Constitution that it helped to shape, and the people it professes to serve.

It is indicative of a party that is, because of Zuma, increasingly on the back-foot and has no plan for the future.

This attitude, on top of Zuma’s own gross misconduct as President, does not bode well for our democracy in the short term. But we must not allow the anti-democratic forces to carry on selling our sovereignty, disregarding our Constitution and stealing our money – or bullying those who dare to criticize them.

As Save South Africa, we appreciate the massive support that has already been shown by people across all sectors of society for the fight against state capture. We would not be where we are today without you.

We will be broadening our consultation with civil society organisations and other interested parties over the next few days, in partnership with FutureSA, to ensure that we continue to build the broad front against state capture and reclaim our democracy – for the sake of our children, and our children’s children.

And we will not rest until Zuma is gone – preferably, to prison.

Statement issued by Save South Africa, 8 August 2017