#Zumamustgo force hits Limpopo

As the spiralling wave of defiance against the rule of Jacob Zuma has now also hit Limpopo with force, the ruling party in the province is under fire from its own for evidently digging its grave by protecting one man.
Amid opposition parties taking to city streets with placards conveying the same message that is resounding throughout the country, growing support for the national alliance in defence of the Constitution was given local impetus with last week’s forming of a steering committee in Limpopo joining the call to protect the democracy. The establishment thereof occurred even before news broke of the Constitution Hill campaign getting off the ground, it was learnt.
The formation representing civil society in Limpopo serves as indicator of a move by the bravest of the warriors – also from within the ranks of the ruling party – rising to join an angered and restless mass demanding of the President to go. That amid the African National Congress (ANC) in the province announcing upon conclusion of Monday’s extended Provincial Working Committee (PWC) meeting that it supported the decision of the extended National Working Committee (NWC) to, among others, not recall Zuma.
The local steering committee is expected to communicate issues of mobilisation of civil society in the province after a noon prayer meeting scheduled to be held in Polokwane today (Thursday). It was learnt that the people of the province are expected to rise up in numbers to attend the gathering. Convenor of the steering committee and erstwhile General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Mautji Pataki told Polo­kwane Observer that their key objective was to defend the Constitution against abuse of leadership in the country and generally conscientise society around that responsibility.
He explained that a few individuals had come together to study the outcome of the recent Constitutional Court judgment on the Nkandla issue and the subsequent response of Parliament, which led to the formation of the committee before mobilisation commenced elsewhere. They hence decided to link up with the organisers of the national alliance and started mobilising the people of Limpopo. With mostly church formations currently on board, they intended to still target business, labour and political organisations in all regions of the province after today’s gathering, he concluded.
An individual aligned to the steering committee in Limpopo stressed that the establishment of the structure was based on the premise that Zuma had lost moral authority to run the country.
A staunch ANC supporter in Limpopo echoed the sentiments of scores of South African citizens – irrespective of political affiliation – demanding their President to be replaced, by saying that the ruling party was digging its own grave to protect one man. “It is committing suicide.”
In the meantime Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema had become the champion of constitutionalism in South Africa, he observed. “The opposition has never been as united as under Jacob Zuma,” he remarked with regards to the political will and efforts to have Zuma impeached.
The source predicted that after the ANC leadership in Gauteng had reportedly broken ranks with the organisation on its Zuma stance, more ruling party structures across the country might follow suit.
He criticised the ANC in Limpopo for an undemocratic decision to convene extended Regional Working Committee (RWC) meetings and special Regional General Councils (RGCs) to discuss the Concourt judgment, instead of first allowing branches of the organisation to deliberate on the matter. ANC Limpopo Media Liaison Officer Aluwani Netsianda could not be reached to clarify the issue.

Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com

Photo: Supporters of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo further the call for, among others, President Jacob Zuma to go. The chanting group caught the attention of motorists in School Road on Saturday morning.