ANC Statement, 19 August 2014
Response to Adriaan Botha
The African National Congress has noted the condescending and self-important
article by the editor of Beeld newspaper, Adriaan Basson, which translated
to English is entitled "How do we get rid of Zuma" and appeared in Monday's
edition of the paper.
The African National Congress has, over the years, championed the cause of a
free and democratic press which absolutely entitles the media to criticize
the ANC and the government it leads including the President. The article
however flies in the face of the decorum expected of senior leaders of the
press in instances where national issues are at stake. This we say in a
spirit of sadness.
The article demonstrates an obsession by Basson in waging a determined,
desperate and futile campaign to get rid of President Zuma. He ignores the
emphatically expressed will of 11 million South Africans who renewed the
mandate of the ANC, with Comrade Jacob Zuma at the helm, to lead the
country. He thus abrogates upon himself monopoly of knowledge and is
disdainful of the confidence the people of South Africa have in the ANC and
its President, barely three months following a national election where the
very same issues Basson raises were tested. The role of the media, amongst
others, is to manufacture consensus. This Basson does aptly against the will
of the majority of the South African people and with the intention to
subvert democracy, by all means necessary.
In his quest to continue to discredit President Zuma, Basson is even
prepared to resort to blatant lies. He speaks that "he (Zuma) should have
known better when a palace arose out of nothing around him". It is a known
fact and concurred by the Public Protector that the President did not use
state funds for the building of his residence. President Zuma initiated and
paid for the building of his residence, as is usually the norm in these
instances, even before he was elected head of state and government of this
country.
It was only after the involvement of the SAPS that costs of a security
nature came into the picture. Therefore the ANC unreservedly supports the
President in his call for the Minister of Police to exercise his
constitutional duty to determine which of these costs are of a security
nature so that, as he has said on at least three occasions, he may settle
for what in the first instance prompted him to build a house for his family.
This will separate private from public costs.
Basson's reference to "the poor police minister, Nkosinathi Nhleko" is not
only patronising and condescending but demonstrates a contempt for duly
appointed democratically elected officials in the exercise of their natural
duties. And this is the crux of the matter. While the ANC is unambiguously
committed to the Freedom of expression, Basson demonstrably treats democracy
as disposable when he manufactures three options to "get rid of Zuma before
2019."
He even manages to speak of "an amnesty that will indemnify [President] Zuma
from prosecution" if he resigns and disappears from the political scene.
Basson proceeds as though we are dealing with the criminal regime of
apartheid past. If Basson cannot tell the difference between his Bothas
from his Zumas, that is fortunately not a widely shared disability in our
country.
The African National Congress accordingly calls on all South Africans to
defend democracy and to close ranks and isolate and disregard such agitation
and intended call-to-arms against the President.
We are not oblivious to the need for demonstrable probity in the manner in
which public funds are utilized by public servants and office bearers,
including instances which invariably require security detail for reasons
that are obvious. Hence the "poor" but duly authorized organs of state
(including the responsible Minister) will diligently continue their
necessary work.
Issued by:
Zizi Kodwa
National Spokesperson
African National Congress
Enquiries:
Keith Khoza, 082 823 9672
Khusela Sangoni, 072 854 5707
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