DA to urgently interdict the swearing-in of Zuma’s new Ministers

31 March 2017

Last night’s decision by Jacob Zuma to fire Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, his Deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, and a host of Members of the Executive – replacing them with compromised and co-opted individuals – has completed his self-serving project of State Capture. We must act now, as our country and our shared future depends on it.

Therefore, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has today taken a decision to institute urgent legal action to stop this assault on our Constitution and our people. We will this afternoon file papers in the Western Cape High Court seeking an urgent interdict to halt the swearing in of Jacob Zuma’s compromised cabinet members, and the implementation of his reshuffle, which is set to take place at 18h00 this evening.

Last night’s decision has devastating ramifications for the future of our country. The Guptas now not only have unfettered access to our national keypoints as they did to the Waterkloof airbase, to multi-million rand coal tenders, and to cabinet appointments – but crucially now hold the key to our National Treasury and our R1.56 trillion national budget.

The President must be removed from office, and it is the role of Parliament to do so. It is the House that elected him, and it is the House that must remove him. Therefore in addition to our urgent legal action, I – as leader of the official opposition – will lead a march to the ANC’s headquarters at Luthuli House next Friday 7 April, calling on the ANC to support our Motion of No Confidence in President Zuma, which will be before Parliament in the coming weeks.

We are calling on South Africans from all walks of life - political parties, NGOs, civil society – and any South African who cares about the future of our country to join us in our movement for change.

Our country has now reached a crucial tipping point. Jacob Zuma, and his cabal of liars and looters, have made it crystal clear: they come first, and the people of South Africa come last. Our country deserves better than treasonous conduct by those in power.

The time for change is now, and as South Africans, we must stand together and defend what so many gave their lives for.

Parliament must defend our democracy and Zuma

President Jacob Zuma’s decision to fire the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebesi Jonas, should be a rallying call for all South Africans to stand together and defend our hard-won Constitutional Democracy.

The President has once again shown that he has no interest in our beloved country’s future – or the 9 million South Africans who are unemployed. He has bowed to the whims of those who are determined to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and jobless. This is an act of complete state capture.

We cannot sit by and let this happen. It is time that all South Africans stand together to protect our democracy.

It is Parliament who hired Jacob Zuma and it is Parliament that can fire him. We therefore urge all political parties, including members of the ANC, to vote President Jacob Zuma out when the DA’s motion of no confidence is debated in the National Assembly.

The time is now. We must stand together and defend what so many fought and died for.

Issued by Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 31 March 2017