This is a moment of deep crisis - Manuel
Johannesburg - South Africa is in a moment of deep crisis following the Constitutional Court's judgment, and it would be in the country's best interests for President Jacob Zuma to step down, former finance minister Trevor Manuel has said.
"When I look at the Constitution... I know that it was president of the ANC Oliver Tambo that put all of this in place, and it is for that reason that the Constitution echoes the traditions of the ANC and the Freedom Charter as strongly as it does," Manuel said in an interview with Tim Modise on Soweto TV on Tuesday.
"This week was the 27th anniversary of the judicial murder of [Umkhonto we Sizwe operative] Solomon Mahlangu... how do we honour him when the court has to remind us that we have a responsibility to who we are and where we come from? I think it's a very deep tragedy."
Manuel, who is also former minister in the presidency, was talking about the Constitutional Court's ruling last week which found that Zuma failed to uphold the Constitution when he did not comply with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's remedial action regarding payment for the upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.
It ruled that the National Assembly also failed to uphold the Constitution when it set aside Madonsela's report.