Time is of the essence - Zuma must go‚ says Mandela Foundation

President Jacob Zuma 

Time is of the essence - Zuma must go‚ says Mandela Foundation. 

President Jacob Zuma must go "because he has demonstrated that he is not fit to govern"‚ the Nelson Mandela Foundation said on Tuesday - while calling on the State to hold him accountable for his actions.

"Some things cannot be pardoned‚" the foundation said.

In May last year‚ the board of trustees at the Nelson Mandela Foundation - comprising Tokyo Sexwale‚ Sello Moloko‚ Nikiwe Bikitsha‚ Maya Makanjee‚ Dr Mamphela Ramphele‚ former president Kgalema Motlanthe‚ Irene Menell‚ Futhi Mtoba‚ Prof Carolyn Hamilton and Prof Njabulo Ndebele - joined calls for President Zuma to step down‚ saying then "Our country’s constitutional democracy is under threat".

Ndebele read a statement on behalf of the trustees which stated that "structural corruption‚ largely attributed to the arms deal‚ has spread its tentacles through the public domain". The board urged Zuma "to listen to the voice of the people".

On Tuesday‚ the foundation said: "It is 14 months since the Nelson Mandela Foundation first called for President Zuma to resign. We have now reached a point where South Africans can no longer wait for him to do so".

President Jacob Zuma is known for his fiery speeches which often times were accompanied by a song or two.

In the recent years, Zuma, has forgone the singing but who can forget his vibrating rendition of Inde lendlela and M’shini wami?

Our charismatic Commander in Chief is known for populating phrases such as the use of Nkaaaandla and meme worthy renditions of opposition leader Mmusi Maimane’s speech about a ‘broken president.’

Certainly, his utterances keep the general public tuned into Parliament TV as much the protesting antics of the EFF.

But sometimes the president will say something that he regrets, it appears. The president has also come to be known to backtrack on statements he makes, for instance:

In 2015 the president was at the Tshwane University of Technology and he replied to a question from the crowd. A man had stated that police in Marikana had killed innocent people, his reply:

“Those people in Marikana had killed people and the police were stopping them from killing people.”

The following day The Presidency issued a statement saying that the president condemned all the deaths equally.

                          Malema to ANC: ‘Leave Zuma to us’

Leader of the EFF Julius Malema talks to journalists during a press conference at their headquarters in Braamfontein, Johannesburg 

EFF leader Julius Malema has called on the ANC to leave President Jacob Zuma to his party.

“Leave him to us. It looks like this guy has defeated you,” Malema said during a press briefing in Braamfontein following the party’s plenum meeting held over the weekend.

Malema’s remarks come after Zuma’s alleged refusal to resign, ignoring pleas from the ANC top six officials including ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Malema also revealed that his party was considering legal action to stop Zuma from delivering Sona.

“If his party says he must go. Why must he speak?”

He said that a motion of no confidence in Zuma was going to be tabled in parliament on Thursday.

This is despite the fact that National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has declined the EFF’s request for a motion to be debated before Sona.

Malema argued that Zuma has defied his own party, the ANC, and will do it again.

“Sona must come. Our people need to know the state of affairs. But it must be delivered by a different person who respects the constitution.”

He said that the people of South Africa do not want a criminal to deliver Sona.

Malema said Zuma has dared the ANC to fire him.

“What is even worse is that he is not scared of impeachment. The ANC is in trouble. When we started we were told that we are rascals and anarchists. Today the man is saying he is not going anywhere.”

Malema lashed out at Ramaphosa, saying he is part of the mess South Africa is confronted with today.

He also accused Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Gauteng premier David Makhura of being responsible for the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

“They killed people. They must take full responsibility. No one is arrested,” Malema said.

He said that his party would embark on an anti black racism campaign.

“All companies paying white people more than blacks shall be confronted to transform.”