While it is the norm for political parties and civic movements to hand in a memorandum to authorities against whom they have a grievance, aspirant political party Defend South Africa (DSA) presented a mock letter of resignation to the Union Buildings to express its dissatisfaction against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The mock resignation letter is purported to have been written by Ramaphosa, wherein he thanks the people of South Africa for having given him the opportunity to lead this country and announces that he is resigning as the country’s president.
DSA wanted Ramaphosa to come and sign the mock resignation letter himself and not send any of his aides.
Speaking to Tshwane Talks at the march to the Union Buildings on Friday, DSA National Spokesperson Tseko Tsotetsi said they were taking a leaf out of the book of former President Nelson Mandela who advised South Africans that if the ANC government does to them what the apartheid regime did to them, then they must also do to the ANC what they did to the apartheid dispensation.
“As citizens of South Africa we are in a crisis because we don’t have a leader, we don’t have a president and we don’t have a government,” he lamented.
“Ramaphosa is there for the benefit of big businesses which serve the interests white monopoly capital and he also serves the interests of foreigners and we are of the opinion that as president of the country one must serve the interests of the people first and foremost,” said Tsotetsi.
He said his party has also initiated the “Cyril Must Fall” campaign because it is fed-up with Ramaphosa.
“We know that Ramaphosa won’t budge now but we are going to launch a sustained campaign until he admits that the majority of South Africans no longer want him in power,” said Tsotetsi.
He indicated that DSA supports the motion of no confidence that will soon be tabled in Parliament against Ramaphosa as well as the call made by the Walter Sisulu Foundation for the removal of Ramaphosa as the head of state.
He said it was not only DSA that was disgruntled with Ramaphosa but a whole lot of other political parties and civic movements.
Tsotetsi pointed out that in the 29 May 2024 general elections Ramaphosa was actually rejected by 60% of the voters as the ANC only managed to win 40% of the votes.
“Ramaphosa was actually brought back into power through the back door via a deal between the ANC and the DA, which was facilitated by white monopoly capital,” fumed Tsotetsi.
He pointed out that the last time they were at the Union Buildings to present the mock resignation letter to Ramaphosa to sign was on the 4th of April this year but didn’t get to hand it in as the person who had been sent by the office of the Presidency to receive the mock resignation letter was just a nonentity of no standing in Ramaphosa’s office.
He stressed that Ramaphosa himself must sign the resignation letter.
Tsotetsi also complained about the following issues:
1. Load shedding whereby coal is taken out this country to help other countries while it is needed here in South Africa.
2. Foreigners who are allowed to use public health facilities to the detriment of local South Africans.
He alluded to a recent incident whereby 7 South Africans were arrested in Zimbabwe due to lack of proper documents and stressed that Zimbabwe is enforcing it’s immigration laws whole South Africa is not doing so; meaning South Africa is a Banana Republic.
Tsotetsi said their aim was to actually get into the Union Buildings and stage a sit-in there, but were prevented by the police from doing so.
The DSA march started at the Old Marabastad bus depot before proceeding to the Union Buildings and was supported by members of political parties and civic movements like Tshwane Bahlali Dudula, African People’s Convention, Soil of Africa, MK Party, Operation Dudula, FOSA,Saulsville Atteridgeville Concerned Residents and Mamelodi Concerned Residents for Service Delivery.
Tsotetsi revealed that as DSA they are not actually endorsing anyone per se to take over from Ramaphosa as that matter shall be decided by the National Assembly, but pointed out that they would support anyone who proves himself to be accountable to the people of South Africa.
Copy of resignation letter: