DA leader Mmusi Maimane says that President Cyril Ramaphosa is not enough to turn the tide in the ANC. He has called for South Africans to treat the upcoming polls as a referendum on the governing party.
Maimane was delivering the DA’s alternative state of the nation address ahead of Ramaphosa’s second Sona which will be delivered tomorrow evening at 7pm.
“If we are to take our democratic duty seriously, then this year’s election has to be a referendum on the ANC,” Maimane said.
“Not an expression of hope for a better version of the ANC, but a referendum on the party’s achievements and failures during its time in office, and particularly its performance over the past term. Anything less would be a dereliction of our duty in our hard-won democracy.”
Maimane said that the time had come and gone for the ANC to redeem itself.
“Renewal in the ANC is not possible because rot has already spread everywhere in the party, and from there throughout the state. Which is why it can no longer manage the real problems our country faces. The window period for a clean amputation has long since come and gone. Now it would mean cutting out most of the party. But here’s the crux of the matter: Even if it were possible to cut out the rot in the ANC, it would still not be enough.”
Portugal’s consul general told Maimane during the question and answer session that based on his interactions, the international community and business community locally was showing great signs of confidence in Ramaphosa, believing that he was doing enough to tackle the corruption which has plagued his party.
Maimane responded by saying that Ramaphosa had too long been separated from the ANC despite having played a key role as deputy president even as corruption became rampant.
“There is a romantic view on President Ramaphosa that makes us all believe he landed on Mars. President Ramaphosa was part of the ANC as deputy president over the last so-called nine years.”
The party leader likened the state of the nation to that of an unroadworthy bus where citizens were the passengers and Ramaphosa the driver. He emphasised that the ANC was still in charge which meant that a change in driver still could not save the lives on board, what would be required was a new bus altogether.