ANC youth accepts Zuma axing
2005-06-21 12:16
Cape Town - The African National Congress Youth League has accepted the decision by President Thabo Mbeki "to release" deputy president Jacob Zuma.
The league - which had backed Zuma for leadership of the ANC - said: "The ANC Youth League joins the ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma and the ANC in accepting and supporting the decision by President Thabo Mbeki, to release the deputy president Jacob Zuma of his duties."
Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said Mbeki, in his address to parliament on Tuesday, "emphasised a need to observe basic pillars of our jurisprudence, namely equality before the law and the right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise".
"As stated by the President of the Republic in his address yesterday, 'we are of the view that these principles applies to the deputy president not merely as a matter of principle and common decency but also in deference to the individual occupying such office and the service that he has rendered to the Republic and its people before and after the attainment of our liberation.
The deputy president has yet to have his day in court'."
Kodwa said on Wednesday: "Noting the above statement, as we have also stated before, that we believe that the ANC deputy president is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law, he remains the deputy president of the ANC, a leader of South Africa's people, a commissar and we have full confidence in his leadership."
"Tomorrow, as we celebrate the 29th Anniversary of June 16, the deputy president of the ANC Jacob Zuma, and ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula will be addressing a national commemoration of June 16 in Mpumalanga at Mbombela municipality," said Kodwa.