The country has been holding its breath for over seven days now awaiting the announcement of the 7th administration cabinet.
AZAPO condemns the reason behind the inordinate delay which is tantamount to holding the voters and the nation at ransom.
It is now almost a month since the elections and over a week since President Ramaphosa was sworn and in terms of Section 94 of the Constitution the cabinet of the 6th administration ceases to exist upon swearing in of the new president.
As things stand, the country is in limbo as there is no Executive to lead the country. The President is all by himself.
Meanwhile the date of the announcement of the new cabinet has been changing all the time and the nation is waiting to exhale.
The shortcoming in the country’s Constitution is that it makes no provision for such impasse. This dangerous power vacuum poses a huge risk for the country.
The Constitution was crafted for peacetime circumstances and clearly, we did not learn any lessons from the collapse of the first government of national unity following the 1994 elections.
AZAPO has been calling for the direct election of the president and mayors to avoid a situation where the president becomes beholden to party apparatus and political manoeuvres when he/she is expected to be accountable and owe allegiance to the entire country.
AZAPO therefore calls for the overhaul of the Constitution to address all these limitations.
AZAPO is disturbed that a minority within a minority, through a dubious document called a “statement of intent” is now entrusted with constitutional powers to determine on behalf of the President as to how and who should constitute the cabinet. President Ramaphosa is rendered a mere figurehead, stripped of his powers.
This impasse has nothing to do with the developmental interests of the citizens, but everything to do with the selfish political interests of the ten parties.
AZAPO is calling upon President Ramaphosa to immediately announce a cabinet in line with the constitutional imperatives and appoint men and women who would best serve the interests if the country, in line with the oath of office that he took a week ago.