The presidential seat is a well respected one and anyone who occupies such position is expected to be accorded a great degree of respect; but this seems not to be the case these days as we see our dear president Jacob Zuma being at the receiving end of all forms of insults and derogatory statements from the members of the National Assembly.
The event that took place at the National Assembly on Wednesday could be seen as the heightt of it all as president Zuma, who was expected to present the Presidency’s budget vote, was interrupted by members of the parliament particularly the EFF and the DA.
Insults flew thick and fast from every angle of the house, an afternoon after the leader of the Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane described President Jacob Zuma as a “thief.” During the Presidency’s budget vote in the National Assembly, which was characterized by much heckling and shouting, Maimane was heard saying: “The truth is that this man is a thief.”
Maimane also referred to President Jacob Zuma as the “looter in chief” and “accused number one” after a dramatic start when arguments erupted over arms deal charges being reinstated against him following a ruling by the North Gauteng High Court which found that the National Prosecuting Authority was wrong to drop fraud‚ corruption and racketeering charges against him.
The DA leader went on to say that all Zuma had to say about all accusations laid on him is “it wasn’t me.” Can you imagine him giving that answer to all the allegations piling up against him?
- The Gupta landing at Waterkloof?
It wasn’t me. - Al-Bashir’s escape?
It wasn’t me. - The millions spent on Nkandla?
It wasn’t me. - Failure to comply with the Public Protector’s report?
It wasn’t me. - A R4 billion luxury presidential jet?
It wasn’t me - The push to sign off on a trillion Rand nuclear deal?
It wasn’t me. - The Gupta brothers offering cabinet posts?
It wasn’t me. - The crash of the Rand following Nenegate?
It wasn’t me.
Jacob Zuma has never accepted responsibility for any allegation leveled against him. And are we just to believe that these people are incorruptible liars hell bent on smearing his name, with no iota of truth in the allegations? For some reasons, I find that hard to believe.
DA leader was reported as saying:
“And everybody knows that our country is going backwards under Zuma’s ANC.”
And Maimane also asserted:
“And everybody knows that the ANC will protect Jacob Zuma at all costs.”
The deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli however called on the DA leader to withdraw his statement against Zuma, saying it was unparliamentary to call the president a criminal. Tsenoli said:
“The president has not been found guilty of those charges. Honourable Maimane you cannot call somebody a criminal who has not been convicted,”“The rules require of you to make any such allegation against any member, including the president, in a substantive motion. If you cannot do that, withdraw that please.”
Zuma received another range of insults from the EFF yesterday when the party members ordered the president out of the house, claiming he had no right to be in the house. One of the house members said this to mister President while urging the speaker to put off the mics:
“You have broken an oath of office. You are an embarrassment Baleka even to your party.”
The likes of these demeaning names given to president Zuma comes not just only from political parties but also from most South Africans who believe the president caused it all by first engaging himself in several disrespectful and corrupt practices.
President Zuma has since the beginning of this year been called to step down from office, following all allegations of corruptions and mismanagement of office laid against him.
He will however be back in the house at 2pm today to respond to yesterday’s barb and insult-laden debate on the Presidency’s budget vote.
Who knows, maybe today’s speech would spark off more fire.
Source: Buzzsouthafrica