Premier Zikalala is abusing his position by asking for Presidential pardon for Zuma
10 July 2021
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala’s plea to President Cyril Ramaphosa for a pardon on Jacob Zuma’s sentence is politically opportune, conflating his role as head of the provincial executive and putting on open display his allegiance to Zuma and the ANC’s RET faction. Furthermore, it shows a flagrant disregard for the Constitution of the Republic.
The current wave of violent protest across the province, by the Zuma faction of the ANC, is no excuse for the premier to approach the president for any pardon on Zuma. In fact, what this act has demonstrated is Zikalala’s tacit support for the violent protest which he and his government should rein in, but choose not to out of political impertinence. Once again the residents of this province are made to suffer at the hands of ANC infighting where politicians place party politics above the people.
It is now evident that this is an ANC problem, nothing else. To use his position as Premier to call for a pardon, whilst he has clearly aligned himself to Zuma is an abuse of the office he holds. If it were anyone other than Zuma, would he do the same?
If he was in anyway concerned by the violent protests, he should use his power as ANC provincial chairperson to call the Zuma faction to order. Obviously, this does not suit his political agenda.
His political objective is quite apparent, should he succeed with the request of a pardon he would be hailed as the Zuma liberator by the ANC faction in KZN.
The DA calls on the Premier to stay in his lane; justice has and will continue to be served. Place the interest of the people of KZN above that of the factionalised ANC. As Premier, it is his duty to maintain law and order, without fear or favour.
Anything else would make him guilty of not upholding the rule of law and a transgression of the Constitution of the Republic, which under oath the Premier undertook to uphold.
The current ANC disunity and violence in KZN will be a true test of the Premiers intentions and leadership.
Issued by Francois Rodgers, DA KZN Leader, 10 July 2021
