On Sunday evening President Thabo Mbeki delivered a speech to the nation informing us that he had submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly. He was doing so as a loyal ANC cadre, he said. He also stressed the importance of ensuring stability in our country.

It was a consummate and moving performance. Many in our country, and perhaps even in the ANC, were beginning to wonder why the ANC's National Executive Committee had recalled him in the first place. Barely one-and-a-half days later we have all been rudely reminded of the underlying reason for his recall.

The announcement by the Presidency that Mbeki had received and accepted the resignation of 11 cabinet ministers and three deputies "so far" must have been endorsed by Mbeki himself.

We understand that the announcement was made without the slightest consultation with the officials of the ANC. We understand that at least some of the resignations were handed in last week, before there had been any interaction between the ANC leadership and cabinet.

Some of these resignations appear to have been tabled on the basis of the misunderstanding that the resignation of the President necessarily required the resignation of his cabinet. This would only have been constitutionally required had there been a Parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Today's dramatic announcement by the Presidency was a reckless attempt to provoke a sense of crisis locally and internationally and to attach the blame for this crisis on the ANC's NEC. A hurried ANC-convened press conference after the fact, and further explanations from some key ministers helped to calm matters down somewhat.

However, once again we have been reminded of the underlying reason for the ANC's recall of Mbeki. Duplicity, the flouting of longstanding ANC traditions of collective leadership and respect for the unity of the organisation have been hallmarks of the outgoing presidency. Despite the moving performance on Sunday evening, the sad truth is that President Mbeki has never come to terms with the message that the overwhelming majority of ANC delegates sought to convey at the ANC's 52^nd National Conference. The present fight back campaign betrays a reckless disregard for stability in our country and for the standing of South Africa internationally. We are sure that the majority of South Africans will see through all of this and will not allow this recklessness to prevail.

Statement issued by the South African Communist Party September 23 2008