The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has formally delivered a letter of demand to Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on him to resign from office by 9am on Friday, 18 July.

In the letter seen by IOL, among other things, the MK party tells Ramaphosa that the decision to appoint Professor Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police is in contravention of the Constitution, because the academic is not a member of Cabinet or the National Assembly.

MK party national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said Ramaphosa must resign in honour of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding commander-in-chief of uMkhonto weSizwe – the military wing.

“Should Ramaphosa fail to heed this call, the MK party will pursue a range of lawful and peaceful actions, including constitutional litigation, a motion of no confidence in Parliament and rolling mass action nationwide,” said Ndlela.

“These steps reflect the will of the people, who, through democratic means, delivered a decisive electoral verdict against the African National Congress under Ramaphosa’s leadership.”

He said, despite the “clear message” from the electorate, the will of the people has been undermined by opportunistic political alliances.

During the May 2024 general elections, the African National Congress (ANC) secured just 40% of the vote, failing to maintain its decades-long parliamentary majority.

“The so-called Government of National Unity (GNU), formed by the Democratic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus, and their collaborators, has effectively reinstalled the very ANC that South Africans voted out. This betrayal has sparked widespread public outrage and represents a direct affront to democratic accountability,” said Ndlela.

“The recent explosive revelations by General Mkhwanazi further expose the GNU as a deeply compromised arrangement, more aligned with criminality than with the constitutional mandate to serve the people.”

He said the MK party views the GNU as “the most dangerous political fraud” in post-apartheid South Africa, adding that the political arrangement enables the continued theft of land, resources and dignity. 

“The MK party calls on Cyril Ramaphosa and the GNU to respect the voice of the people before irreparable damage is done to South Africa’s democratic institutions. The time for accountability and ethical leadership is now,” said Ndlela.

Earlier, IOL reported that as the streets of Durban became a backdrop for impassioned pleas for justice, Soweto residents and supporters of Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also took to the streets in support of the KZN police commissioner on Tuesday.

Marching from Thokoza Park to the Kliptown police station, the small group lamented the recent deaths of councillors and other activists whose murders have not been resolved, while crime continues to spiral out of control.

In Durban, supporters of Mkhwanazi marched from Curries Fountain to Hoy Park to deliver a memorandum, calling for the police commissioner’s protection. 

This march followed his recent media briefing, which has lifted the lid on alleged deep-rooted corruption within the SAPS.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News  

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