‘Stubborn’ Zuma must go – veterans of the student movement

The Strategic Dialogue Group has added its voice to the growing calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down.

The SDG describes itself as “a national organisation aimed at mobilising former universities and colleges’ students activists from erstwhile progressive students movements of the 1980s and 1990s who belonged to the Azanian Students Organisation, the National Union of South African Students, South African National Students Congress and the South African Students Congress, back into the ANC fold”.

In a statement on Monday, the SDG said it “has noted with extreme disappointment the intransigent failure by Jacob Zuma to step down”, despite the ANC’s efforts to negotiate a dignified exit for him.

The ANC’s top six officials met with Zuma on Sunday night where it is understood he refused to resign.

Zuma’s refusal has “thrown the ANC and the whole country into turmoil”, the SDG said.

The organisation called on Zuma to vacate his office with immediate effect to provide space for the party’s new leadership to restore trust and confidence and ensure an ANC victory in the 2019 national elections.

“Such an exit must enable President Cyril Ramaphosa to deliver the state of the nation address, to inspire the nation with the renewed message of hope and energy necessary to restore the nation to thriving developmental path,” it said.

On Sunday, a number of civic organisations under the banner of Future South Africa wrote a letter to Ramaphosa, urging the ANC to recall Zuma before the state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday.

“President Zuma embodies the antithesis of the core principles of what it means to be a good leader. He embodies ‘misgovernance’,” the letter read.

FutureSA said for Sona to be different this year, Zuma should be prevented from delivering the address.

Meanwhile, the SDG also wanted the ANC’s national executive committee to investigate the behaviour of secretary-general Ace Magashule. This comes after Magashule’s veiled attack on Ramaphosa.

Speaking at an ANC Youth League event in KwaZulu-Natal last Sunday, Magashule told supporters to “stay focused”.

“It is just a matter of five years, comrade. The [elective] conference happens every five years, so let’s work hard.”

The SDG said the ANC should bring charges against Magashule should he be found “to have undermined and transgressed the code of conduct and the constitution of the ANC”.