Home » Former ANC Treasurer Mathews Phosa’s Plea to Zuma – “GO NOW” – Goes Viral

Former ANC Treasurer Mathews Phosa’s Plea to Zuma – “GO NOW” – Goes Viral

A plea to South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma to “go now”… or history will judge him “to be the chief architect of the destruction of the ANC”, has gone viral. The author of the hard-hitting words is former ANC (African National Congress) treasurer, Mathews Phosa, writing in an opinion piece in the Sunday Independent. Phosa predicts that, with the current state […]

By SAPeople
20-02-17 16:35
in News

A plea to South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma to “go now”… or history will judge him “to be the chief architect of the destruction of the ANC”, has gone viral. The author of the hard-hitting words is former ANC (African National Congress) treasurer, Mathews Phosa, writing in an opinion piece in the Sunday Independent.

Phosa predicts that, with the current state of affairs, the ANC will have to “perform a miracle to get anywhere near 50% of the vote in 2019″.

He says he knows he’s not the only one who feels this way. (In fact in November 2016, another member of the ANC’s top six, former Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, also spoke out against the current ANC in the Business Day).

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe shaking hands with Chairperson of the Council, Dr Mathews Phosa, at a Public Lecture, Entitled ‘Reflections on the Centenary of the African National Congress (ANC)’ at UNISA’s African Intellectuals, Knowledge Systems and Africa’s Futures’. A 2012 Inaugural Lecture on African institutions, intellectuals and political resiliency: Lessons, prospects and implications for africa’s futures, held at ZK Matthews Hall, UNISA’s main campus in Tshwane. 27/01/2011.

Phosa says he had his “Damascus moment” at the State of the Nation Address – “better named the Shame of the Nation”, he says – when Speaker Baleka Mbete “coldly and clinically” refused to allow Parliament to bow their heads for the 94 victims of the Esidemeni health system travesty. He also cited Zuma’s laughter, the “unconstitutional assault” of the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) and the pepper spray which he could smell as he sat in the public gallery.

Former President Thabo Mbeki also made an impassioned plea to the ANC in November 2016 with a thinly veiled call to impeach Zuma.

Phosa said it’s unlikely that Nelson Mandela would have condoned the spending of resources to protect “one man’s rape” of the ANC’s principles and the constitution.

He said “I call, again, for the resignation of the president” and that it’s time for members to stop debating in the dark and rather voice their opinions in public.

“Good men cannot be silent in the face of evil. Silence is connivance,” he said.

Read the full article on IOL here.