Activists launch campaign to oust South African leader

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

A group of South African activists Wednesday launched a public motion of “no confidence” in President Jacob Zuma over allegations of corruption and poor leadership.

The group said it aimed to mobilize nationwide support through a petition to have the president removed.

“Today civil society is saying ‘no’ to corruption. We are saying ‘no’ to a president who we see as a champion of corruption,” prominent businessman and activist, Sipho Pityana said during the campaign’s launch in Johannesburg.

The no-confidence campaign against Zuma is supported by prominent individuals, including, business leaders and civil society organizations united under the banner “Save South Africa”.

Pityana claims that Zuma’s seven years in office has destroyed the reputation of the 104-year-old African National Congress (ANC), the oldest liberation movement on the continent, once led by the late global icon Nelson Mandela.

Zuma, who assumed office in May 2009, has faced a number of corruption allegations including using millions in state funds to upgrade his private home in Nkandla village, KwaZulu-Natal.

The president has also been accused of reportedly allowing his friends from the wealthy Indian Gupta family to influence him in appointing government officials and getting lucrative state contracts.

He has survived several motions of no confidence brought against him by the opposition in parliament, because of the majority of his ruling ANC.

Pityana said South Africans should not wait until 2019 when Zuma’s term comes to an end to stop corruption, cronyism and bad leadership.

For the past year, many South Africans have been calling for Zuma’s resignation after he replaced three finance ministers in less than one week, leading to a fall in the country’s currency and a stock-market crash.

“The message is loud and clear; people have lost confidence in Zuma and he must go,” activist Ferial Adam said at the launch. She said South Africa deserved a transparent and honest president.

As the group called for Zuma’s resignation, he was busy in parliament answering tough questions regarding recent student protests and the state of the country’s economy.