'Parliament must be dissolved' - EFF won't participate in Ramaphosa's swearing in
15 February 2018
Cape Town - The Economic Freedom Fighters says it will not legitimise the election of incoming president Cyril Ramaphosa by participating in the process in Parliament on Thursday.
EFF leader Julius Malema held a press conference on Thursday during which he said that a new president needed a new mandate from the electorate following the constitutional violations of the past few years.
"The EFF has no confidence in the entire leadership of the ANC, and therefore believes that even those who will be elected after Jacob Zuma will be nothing but substitutes in the same corruption game.
"If Ramaphosa becomes president, he is simply going to replace Zuma's corruption stooges with his own corruption stooges."
The recent appointment of Sifiso Dabengwa onto the Eskom board was a "worrying sign", as Dabengwa is a close associate of Ramaphosa, Malema said.
"The EFF therefore will not participate in the election of a new president, to replace Zuma because we do not want to legitimate anyone from the ruling party."
EFF expected at SONA
The party will therefore support the Democratic Alliance's motion, filed last week and still waiting for a scheduling, to dissolve Parliament.
"This is to allow our people to renew Parliament in favour of early elections."
However, Malema said the EFF would be in the House, and warned journalists to "wait and see" what the party's MPs would do during the sitting on Thursday.
The red berets are expected to participate in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, and its debate on Monday.
Parliament's Acting Secretary Penelope Twaya on Thursday said SONA preparations were on track for the event to be hosted on Friday at 19:00.
The party meanwhile welcomed Zuma's "long overdue" resignation, and gave 29 reasons why Zuma should have resigned long ago.
'Don't fall for Zuma's crocodile tears'
These include corruption at state-owned entities, Constitutional Court rulings against him, a stagnation of the economy and mass Cabinet reshuffles.
Malema said his party was not sympathetic to Zuma's appeals that he was being victimised, and warned South Africans not to fall for his "crocodile tears".
"The EFF patiently and relentlessly fought against Jacob Zuma's leadership of South Africa because he was a disaster, a post-colonial disaster who almost brought South Africa to its collapse.
"He is a conman and a trickster who when caught in the wrong, plays victimhood with the aim of misleading the gullible into supporting him [sic]."
Malema admitted he felt robbed by the fact that he would not be leading a motion of no confidence against Zuma.
"We are [still] going to the House. The Speaker received a letter and it must be read to the House. We want to be there for the victory.
"Thereafter, we will put it to the House that Parliament must be dissolved."
The National Assembly will meet from 14:00. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng will oversee the process.
