Minister exodus 'shocking'
2008-09-23 16:15
Cape Town - Opposition MPs have raised doubts about the ANC leadership's ability to deal with the fallout caused by President Thabo Mbeki's ousting following Tuesday's mass resignation of Cabinet ministers.
Addressing the National Assembly, Democratic Alliance Parliamentary leader Sandra Botha said the mass exodus was proof that divisions within the ANC ran deeper that what the ruling party had admitted to.
"ANC president Jacob Zuma... now needs to move with speed to reassure the people of South Africa and the markets that there will be policy continuity in the affected ministries," she said.
The resignations reflected a major protest within the ANC over Mbeki's removal.
Inkatha Freedom Party Chief Whip Koos van der Merwe described the move as "shocking".
"The shocking resignation of the deputy president, 10 ministers and three deputy ministers has disturbingly demonstrated that the decision to recall Mbeki by the ANC was made in indecent haste, was ill-conceived and only served to further erode the political stability in South Africa," he said.
The mass exodus was proof that "the end of the ANC is fast approaching".
ID: ANC misled the nation
Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said the resignations were a clear indication that the ANC had misled the nation when it announced that it had a plan in place following its decision to oust Mbeki.
"The Zuma camp has failed to plan ahead to prevent economic and political instability," she said.
African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe said the move was a "clear vote of no confidence in the Zuma camp. These resignations will result in further apprehension among our citizens", he said.
The ACDP was extremely concerned about the resignation of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel who had provided political and economic stability in the wake of Mbeki's departure from office.
Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said the ANC was confronted with a challenge "not for the first time, not for the second time, not for the last time".
"Our history is rich with examples of how the leaders of this mighty organisation have consistently, over a period of time, been able to confront difficult times.
"When a big tree is felled in the forest, like the big tree that President [Thabo] Mbeki was... the sound of the falling of that tree is very big and reverberates across the forest. But, that sound does not translate to the decimation of the forest," Stofile said.
He appealed to all South Africans to stand fast and not be confused by "political utterances".
- SAPA