Zille: Mbeki must go

2008-05-12 19:13

Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki must go, and he must go now, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Monday.

"In a constitutional democracy such as ours, it is untenable for a president with his track record to remain in office," she said in a statement.

It was "in the interests of South Africa" that Mbeki step down as president.

Zille said Mbeki had "interfered" in key institutions that should be independent from the ruling party - such as the SABC and the National Prosecuting Authority - for his own political purposes.

Further, he was ultimately responsible for South Africa's power crisis, which threatened to bring the economy to its knees, and had consistently denied the gravity of national crises such as Aids and crime.

He had also allowed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to "repeatedly steal elections" in that country.

In leaving office, however, he should not automatically be replaced by the "equally flawed" Jacob Zuma, or any other African National Congress member.

South Africans should be given the opportunity to decide in an election who is to be their next president.

"We (the DA) therefore reiterate our call for the National Assembly to be dissolved in order to trigger a national election.

"Our motion to this effect, in terms of section 50(1) of the Constitution, was tabled on February 12 ... We will redouble our efforts to ensure that this motion is debated in Parliament at the first available opportunity," Zille said.

Her statement follows calls at an ANC-SACP-Cosatu alliance meeting at the weekend for the ruling party to "recall" Mbeki and replace him as president of the country.

- SAPA