NO CONFIDENCE
NATASHA MARRIAN: Ballot will test cross-currents of defiance
‘Makhosi Khoza and a party man who until now has displayed stoic discipline, Pravin Gordhan, have said they would vote with their consciences’
Before 2016, it felt as if SA was a deer in the headlights — there was a numbing complacency. Now the prevailing political mood is one of defiance.
Defiance in the face of paralysis in the ANC to act against a rogue president. Defiance by the ANC’s parliamentary caucus against the expectation that it cast a blind eye on the excesses of this administration.
Defiance by ANC structures against a narrative developed by a UK-based public relations firm at the behest of an Indian family whose citizenship is at best dubious.
President Jacob Zuma’s defiance of the majority view in the ANC over white monopoly capital was on display this week when he addressed party structures in the Western Cape. Party MPs also demonstrate a desire for defiance after being hamstrung from speaking publicly for so long. The big question we are facing is whether this defiance will extend to the motion of no confidence in Zuma early in August. It is unlikely that enough ANC MPs will defy the party position to vote out their president, even if the ballot is secret. But even if a few take that drastic step, the country and our democracy would be the better for it. The pain expressed by ANC MP Makhosi Khoza in venting her feelings about the president this week was illustrative. She hit hard, describing Zuma as one who at best harvests women, who mocks black intellectuals and who haunts the country he is meant to have pledged allegiance to. The ANC’s position on the motion of no confidence also marks a tacit defiance of the Const...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.