A significant number of ANC members of parliament were willing to vote against their president today. It clearly shows that there is serious division within the ANC and it certainly marks only the beginning of further disintegration and faction formation within the party, says Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus.
Of the 249 ANC members of parliament, only 198 were willing to support the president. That means that between 30 and 40 of the ANC members of parliament were willing to agree with the opposition.
Dr Groenewald says that the outcome makes it clear that politically South Africa is moving in a new direction and that gives one hope that the ANC can indeed be defeated at the polls in 2019 by a coalition of opposition parties.
In his speech before the ballot, Dr Groenewald said that if the ANC members of parliament do not help to get rid of President Zuma, they will be sending a very strong message to the people of the country, which will make it clear that the problem is not only the president, but also the entire ANC government.
He says that the ANC members that chose to support a corrupt president today, need to realise that their choice will inevitably lead to the fall of the ANC.
In his speech, Dr Groenewald said that the public can only trust a president if that president acts in the best interests of the country and its people.
“When a president is willing to take responsibility and to be held accountable for the actions of his government or for the actions that he permits, then it can be said that the president is responsible.
“South Africa, however, has a president that constantly blames others for the problems in the country. If the economy is not growing, then he blames white monopoly capital. Nothing is ever his fault,” says Dr Groenewald.
He also pointed out to the ANC members of parliament that they do not necessarily have to support the motion of no confidence and that they could simply abstain from voting.
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