ANC STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO ADRIAAN BOTHA
19 AUGUST 2014
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 (see here).
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 concensus. 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 concured 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.
Statement issued by Zizi Kodwa, ANC national spokesperson, August 19 2014
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