Off the wire
• 2 die, 1 missing after wave hits natural swimming pool in Tenerife  • Thailand to showcase colorful culture in Songkran celebration  • Roundup: Zimbabwe's traffic police showered with cynicism from motorists  • Iran, Russia to use national currencies for mutual trade: official  • Merkel, Tusk, Juncker on migration, Brexit at EPP Malta conference  • Requirements for post-graduate degree-granting credentials to tighten  • Athletic legend Tergat to vie for Kenya's Olympic chief  • UnionPay, Bailian partner for payment service  • Komon, Jepchirchir leads Kenya charge at Prague Half Marathon  • Kenyan first lady urges teachers to raise environmental awareness among students  
You are here: 　 Home

Roundup: S. African opposition seek to impeach President Zuma

Xinhua, March 30, 2017 Adjust font size:

The South African opposition political party, Democratic Alliance (DA) wrote to the speaker of Parliament on Thursday informing her of their intention to table a motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma.

President Zuma recalled Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, his deputy Mcebisi Jonas and Treasury staff who were doing international investment roadshow in the United States and Britain on Monday to return home.

The DA leader, Maimane said they have been informed that Zuma intends to fire Gordhan and Jonas, which is one of the reasons why they have no confidence in him.

Maimane said the President's actions are destroying the country's economy and the hope to create jobs and reduce unemployment. He said recalling the Treasury team from their international investment promotion is removing the gains that had been made after Gordhan became Finance Minister.

Maimane said, "This is a call to remove Zuma before he destroys our economy and our shared future. Parliament hired Jacob Zuma, and Parliament must now fire Jacob Zuma."

He said that it is therefore vital that a Motion of No Confidence be tabled against the Zuma presidency.

Maimane said firing Gordhan will bring problems the country faced when Zuma replaced Nhlanhla Nene as Finance Minister in 2015. The country lost over R500 billion as a result of the shock in the markets.

"Such a crisis was seen previously during the Nene crisis of December 2015. That President Zuma has indicated his intention to go down the same destructive path shows that he has lost all sense of rationality and sound judgment. These actions will result directly in job losses and will thus be most profoundly felt by the poor and most vulnerable citizens in South Africa. There can be no confidence in such a President," he added.

The DA invited other political parties to support his party in debating and voting the President out of office.

Another opposition, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also approached the Constitutional Court seeking an order to force the speaker of Parliament to institute an impeachment against the President.

The African National Congress (ANC) treasurer general Zweli Mkhize refused to comment on the issue. He said he has no knowledge on the impeding Cabinet reshuffle.

"I cannot speculate on those reshuffle issue. I am not able to deal with speculation. We will wait for the government and if there is a reshuffle ANC will respond after that. I do not have much to say on that issue," Mkhize said while responding to the media question in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The South African Communist Party who in tripartite alliance with ANC confirmed that the party was informed that Gordhan and his deputy will be replaced and they rejected it. Endit