08 February 2010
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JOHANNESBURG (Sapa) - The Congress of the People will move for a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma when Parliament resumes this week, deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa said on Monday.
"We derive no pleasure from dealing with this matter. Ours is not about the humiliation of the president of the Republic," he told a media briefing following a meeting of the party's top brass over the weekend.
The motion would be called because of the impact of Zuma's behaviour on the country.
Shilowa said the focus of the entire country was on Zuma due to his indiscretion when it should be on the issues ordinary South Africans face such as unemployment, poverty and HIV/Aids.
Cope general secretary Charlotte Lobe said South Africa had become a "laughing stock" internationally, because Zuma "failed to heed his own government's call on the pandemic".
She was referring to the HIV/Aids pandemic and said Zuma had not adhered to the government's programme on abstinence, being faithful and using condoms.
"His sexual advances to the children of his friends... goes to the heart of his moral bankruptcy.
"President Jacob Zuma is not fit for office. He has tarnished the image of the Republic," she said.
» » » » [Excerpt: Politicsweb]
Umshini ka Zuma
Marius Manqoba Redelinghuys, Cope
February 4, 2010 at 2:19 pm
 Poll at The Times |
Had this been any other country (with the possible exception of Italy), there would have been an uproar over the latest installment in the increasingly scandalous public life of Jacob Zuma. It astonishes me that there has not been spontaneous calls for the president to step down within government and that his comrades have actually come to his defence.
The trials and tribulations of influential people like Tiger Woods, Joost van der Westhuizen and Bill Clinton have led to sponsors withdrawing support, being fired from television programmes and impeachment attempts. I guess this is too much to ask when it comes to the evidently untouchable highest office in South Africa, in which the day-to-day affairs resemble the plot of a cheap soapie.
Media favourite Comrade JuJu claimed it is disrespectful to discuss the sex life of elders, and in particular, that of the first citizen. A startling admission from the man that has repeatedly disrespected elders in opposition parties, ranging from the Congress of the People to the Inkhata Freedom Party. It further smacks of hypocrisy following his highly publicised utterances about Helen Zille’s sex life with her harem of male concubines, as he claimed.
Worst yet, however, is the Communication Workers Union defiantly declaring that “the Media’s obsession and interference at President Zuma’s private life aims at re-engineering society to conform to the capitalist sex ‘norm’ of one man and one woman for life, thus denying the complexity of human sexuality.” Gone are the days when the the purpose of a Union was to defend the rights and interests of its members, not the sexcapades of the president. It is clear that “complexity of human sexuality” does not include a recognition of diversity in sexual orientation, because I don’t remember the Union taking the president to task over his homophobic remarks and support for rumoured soon-to-be homophobe Ugandan High Commissioner Qwelane.
It is also incredibly foolish to equate capitalism with monogamy, when the rise of polyamory, divorce and extra-marital affairs in post-industrial, post-modern and post-Christian societies testify to the lack of a causal relationship.
Hypocrisy and double standards have also evidently become the norm in ANC circles and the Presidency, when the man who is in no position to call anyone else “mischievous” readily labels the media as such, and makes recourse to Constitutional rights and liberties when it suits him, and disregard them with equal ease.
I also guess it is too much to ask from the traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal firmly in the net of government patronage to speak out against the president’s behaviour, a man who has the potential to tarnish and do more damage to the understanding and perception of Zulu culture, customs and traditions than anyone else.
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This, when fathering a child out of wedlock, according to UKZN lecturer Ndela Nelson Ntshangase, is not acceptable in Zulu culture. Although people need not be experts on Zulu culture if it is believed that inhlawulo, or damages, were paid. To be fair, Ntshangase claimed “that as a married Zulu man, Zuma was permitted to date another woman. He was not obliged to tell his wives about such a relationship.”
Zuma ascension to the presidency has been a fancy way of going on social welfare, having taxpayers foot the bill for his wives and offspring. The revelations that the president is taking a two-day break from romp and circumstance following his visits abroad also speak volumes about his commitment to and determination to deliver on the election mantra of “working together we can do more”. The together clearly did not include Mr President.
Work ethic, ethical and moral behaviour seems to elude the embattled man, the rumoured victim of an on-going conspiracy to undermine his character and standing. Methinks sex umshini wethu is doing a fine job at it himself, without the aid of a “third force”.
» » » » [Congress of the People]
Zuma "becoming an liability"
ANC NEC member says president is damaging the image of the party
08 February 2010
Politicsweb
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma's fathering of an illegitimate child has hit his chances of running for a second term, with some ANC heavyweights saying his sex life is damaging the party's image.
Zuma, who has three wives, has apologised for fathering out of wedlock his 20th child with Sonono Khoza, the daughter of close friend Irvin Khoza, who heads South Africa's organising committee for this year's soccer World Cup.
Publicly, the ruling African National Congress has backed the 67-year-old but in private senior party members feel the latest in a long line of sexual scandals is the "last straw".
"He is becoming too much of a liability to the party and his image is damaging," a member of the ANC's national executive committee, who did not want to be named, told Reuters. "Polygamy and promiscuity is not the same thing."
In 2006, Zuma was cleared of raping an HIV positive woman, but admitted during the trial he had unprotected sex with her even though he knew she had the virus.
Even before the love-child scandal broke, Zuma's chances of being the next presidential candidate hung in the balance. The latest incident can only have weighed against him.
The ANC elects a new leader in 2012, and Communist Party chief Blade Nzimande -- now Zuma's higher education minister -- and powerful trade union movement leader Zwelinzima Vavi appear to be lining up a bid for the top position.
"Zuma has managed to keep the party together and present somewhat of a united front but his embarrassing personal life may see him fall from grace," another ANC source said.
"Even his backers are fed up with what he is doing to the image of the party. This incident could be the last straw."
Even if ANC decides to replace Zuma, he would remain national president and could seek re-election with a different party.
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However, there are others in the running for the national presidency in the 2014 election, including Tokyo Sexwale, a billionaire businessman now serving as housing minister, and ANC Secretary General and Communist Party chairman Gwede Manatashe.
Opposition parties and many ordinary people are angry with Zuma's cavalier attitude towards sex, saying it undermines the safe sex message preached by the government in a country with one of the world's highest HIV-AIDS infection rates.
The Congress of the People have refused to accept his apology and called for a no confidence vote in parliament.
Zuma admitted paternity of the four-month-old girl last week and has paid the traditional Zulu inhlawulo (damages) to Khoza's family.
In January, he married Tobeka Madiba, his third current wife. It was his fifth wedding, and while it is not clear if he will marry Khoza, he is engaged and is expected to marry soon for the sixth time.
Multiple marriages form a central part of Zulu culture, and are allowed in the South Africa constitution.
» » » » [Politicsweb]
SA rotting from the head down
Sefu Sekgala says COSATU must grow up and Zuma must step aside
Sefu Sekgala, COPE
08 February 2010
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I'm not surprised by COSATU's attack on Mbhazima Shilowa. While Mbhazima is expressing the views of members of COPE and not his own views, COSATU chose to attack him as a person (see here).
It is unfortunate that, COSATU has become ingrained into the South African politics and has totally abandoned its duty to protect workers agaist abuse, unfair treatment and discrimination. Their biggest focus is on getting positions in ANC and this has distracted them from serving the workers.
It has become hard to tell as to which is a political party, COSATU or ANC.
Our country is desperate for exemplary leadership from all sectors. The protection of Zuma by the alliance is a sign of leaders trapped in their desire for power and wealth at the expense of our people, it is truly regrettable.
Who do we then run to, the communists are power hungry, the unionists are greedy and power hungry and the current politicians in ANC are the dirty part of politics.
Our people need inspiration to lead a better life, our people want to be better and they need to know that it is possible to be better. They need to know that, safe sex is a sustainable practice; they need to know that a life free of fraud and corruption is possible.
Does COSATU not understand this, are they so mush blinded by power and resources that they can't see that in the hands of Msholozi , South Africa is loosing its soul.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that Zuma is not a problem; the vultures surrounding him are the greatest problem. Zuma is just an individual that was chosen to be the President; he is just an individual that is protected within the alliance.
Those who are protecting Zuma are doing so for their own personal and selfish agendas, they have no interest of South Africans at heart. For them Zuma is a stepping stone to the echelons of power and state resources.
The ANC of Nelson Mandela, OR Tambo, Walter Sisulu is no more. The ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa, Winnie Mandela, Tokyo Sexwale, Gwede Mantash, Mathews Phosa , Kgalema Motlanthe, Jacob Zuma is really failing us.
The President of the country must inspire and give hope to the nation. He must challenge us to be better people, not affirm our wrong behaviors.
I'm convinced that South Africa is rotting from the head. Unfortunately, by voting ANC into power with Zuma as president, South Africans claimed the ROT as theirs.
Jacob Zuma is by no means a Presidential material; he is the greatest nightmare South Africa has ever experienced. What did we ever do to deserve such a misfortune?
Jacob Zuma is supposed to give leadership to Mbhazima Shilowa, he is suppose to give leadership to Sefu Sekgala. Zuma must never be compared to anyone else in the country; he is our President for heaven's sake.
Where must Khanyi Mbau take lessons from, while she is much better than the president, who must inspire Zola (aka Zola 7) to be a better person while the President himself is the worst thing that has ever happened in South Africa . Using polygamy as an excuse for reckless sexual behaviour is truly unleadership.
I'm convinced that Jacob Zuma is not fit to lead South Africa . I'm convinced that, should Zuma continue to lead us, South Africa will ROT from the root. I'm convinced that, should Zuma continue to be the president of South Africa , South African families will ROT from the root.
South Africa's head is totally rotten, we need to exchange it for a better, fresh, vibrant, value based and principled head.
I urge all South Africans to rally behind the call for Jacob Zuma to resign. I call upon all members of parliament regardless of political affiliation to support a motion of no confidence against the President of the republic, Jacob Zuma. You will not be doing it for yourselves; you will be doing it for your children, your grand children and for the Republic of South Africa.
I therefore, call for the President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma, to resign.
Sefu Sekgala
Sefu Sekgala is a member of Congress of the people (COPE) and writes here in his personal capacity.
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