The opposition Democratic Alliance in South Africa has told President Thabo Mbeki to go and now.
from our Southern Africa correspondent
DA leader Helen Zille said on Monday, “In a constitutional democracy such
as ours, it is untenable for a president with his track record to remain in
office,” she said in a statement.
She said it was in the interests of South Africa that Mbeki step down as
president. Zille said Mbeki had “interfered” in key institutions that should be independent from the ruling party – such as the SABC and the National Prosecuting Authority – for his own political purposes.
Further, he was ultimately responsible for South Africa’s power crisis, which threatened to bring the economy to its knees, and had consistently denied the gravity of national crises such as Aids and crime.
He had also allowed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to “repeatedly steal elections” in that country.
In leaving office, however, he should not automatically be replaced by the
“equally flawed” Jacob Zuma, or any other African National Congress
member. South Africans should be given the opportunity to decide in an election who is to be their next president.
“We (the DA) therefore reiterate our call for the National Assembly to be
dissolved in order to trigger a national election. “Our motion to this effect, in terms of section 50(1) of the Constitution, was tabled on February 12 … We will redouble our efforts to ensure that this motion is debated in Parliament at the first available opportunity,” Zille said.
Her statement follows calls at an ANC-SACP-Cosatu alliance meeting at the
weekend for the ruling party to “recall” Mbeki and replace him as
president of the country.
