Authors Christie van der Westhuizen and Melanie Judge in conversation about their writing at Ikes Books and Collectables in Durban. Van der Westhuizen is the author of the recently released book, Sitting Pretty: White Afrikaans Women in Postapartheid South Africa and Judge has recently published Blackwashing Homophobia: Violence and the Politics of Sexuality, Gender, and Race.
– Rebecca Redelmeier
Main Photo: MPs seen on South African TV channel, eNCA, shortly before the parliamentary session was set to begin this afternoon.
Following President Jacob Zuma’s resignation last night, South Africa was today waiting for parliament to elect the country’s next leader. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa took over as the acting president of South Africa immediately after Zuma’s resignation. He was expected to be officially elected as the new president of South Africa in parliament this afternoon.
Ramaphosa has been deputy president of South Africa since 2014, and president of the ruling party since December 2017 when he won a succession battle against Jacob Zuma’s former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The presidential election this afternoon will replace a vote of no confidence that had been scheduled to be held in parliament today. The vote of no confidence motion was proposed by the opposition EFF, the Economic Freedom Fighters, who also called for the dissolution of parliament and for new national elections.
Prior to last night’s late-night resignation, the ANC parliamentary caucus had agreed that they would use their political majority to force him out in the EFF’s vote of no confidence. By resigning before the midnight deadline his party had given him, Zuma prevented the opposition from claiming victory for his departure.
Many South Africans have taken to social media to welcome Zuma’s resignation but some, particularly in Zuma’s home province of Kwazulu-Natal, have expressed unhappiness.
Zuma’s resignation comes after months of allegations of corruption against him. During his nine years as president of South Africa, allegations piled up accusing him of permitting the wealthy Gupta family to have undue influence over decisions of government, and of allowing inappropriate state spending on his personal home.
Even as Zuma offered his resignation, he remained adamant that he had done nothing wrong, and that the ANC had treated him unfairly by failing to tell him what they thought he had done wrong.
“I serve in my capacity as President of the Republic of South Africa within the prism of our much acclaimed Constitution, whose foundational values I fully subscribe to,” Zuma said during his resignation speech last night.
Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the State of the Nation address on Friday when he will speak to his vision for South Africa’s future.
UPDATE: February 15, 5:04 p.m. Cyril Ramaphosa was elected this afternoon as the president of South Africa. He was sworn in following the vote and will deliver the State of the Nation Address on Friday.
Main image: President Jacob Zuma seen during an interview live-streamed on the national broadcaster, in which he said he felt he had been unfairly treated.
By Hannah Green
South Africans were glued to news networks today as the ruling African National Congress party issued President Jacob Zuma a formal recall and an ultimatum: resign by the end of today, or face a vote of no confidence in Parliament tomorrow.
This comes after weeks of internal dialogue in the ANC about removing Zuma from office. This prolonged uncertainty has left many South Africans eager to see a resolution, and to finally reclaim sleep lost following several nights of standing by for news.
“#ZumaExit stole hours of sleep and anticipation from me! I feel like I am binge watching a reality show…a really bad reality show,” reads a tweet by @uncleIsaiah16.
“Can’t eat, can’t sleep. TV analists [sic] go on & on. We need & deserve closure & a country we can survive in,” writes @SowterTracy.
President Zuma was expected to hold a media briefing at 10 a.m. today, but this did not materialize. Instead the president held an unannounced television interview with a single journalist on the public broadcaster, during which he said he disagreed with his party’s decision to request him to resign with immediate effect and insisted he had been provided with no reasons for his recall.
A further statement from the president was expected to be delivered before the midnight deadline.
Situated just a block away from South Africa’s parliament, the District Six Museum keeps alive the memory of one of the Apartheid government’s most painful realities – the forced removal of black, coloured, and Indian community members from areas designated ‘whites-only’ under the country’s old Group Areas Act. Based in an old Methodist church and opened in 1994, the museum reflects the painful and turbulent breakdown of one the most vibrant parts of the city. Since the demolition of homes and businesses, the area has remained largely undeveloped and land claims have not been finalised. Part of the museum’s mission has been to find those who lost their homes and community, and tell their stories. They do so beautifully, recreating bedrooms, barber shops, and kitchens using remains that were donated by the families or rescued from the land. — Serena Hawkey
Today, our program had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Mac Maharaj, admired as one of the fathers of democratic South Africa and a man who was a great friend of Nelson Mandela.
Mr Maharaj and Mr Mandela were fellow inmates on the notorious Robben Island where political prisoners were incarcerated by the Apartheid government.
In an inspiring session, Mr Maharaj engaged us with stories of life on the Island and his many years as a leader of the Underground struggle to end Apartheid. He gave us insights into a range of key historical and contemporary political events in the country, and shared his perspective on global issues, past and present.
Our encounter with this iconic figure took place inside an exhibition space at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in downtown Durban, where an exhibition entitled South Africa in the Making traces the history of the anti-Apartheid struggle in photographs. An audio guide featuring music of resistance and descriptions of events during the Struggle accompanied photographs of key players and moments that helped bring an end to Apartheid. The poignant exhibition challenged us to understand the trajectory of South Africa’s path to democracy.
Mr Maharaj left us with words of hope and action. He told us he hoped that the challenges of globalization, growing global inequality, and the impact of climate change would motivate once-disparate communities to find a way to work together. It was his hope that these issues would bring communities together and allow them to push past their differences to pave the way for a more united, equal, and free tomorrow.
Read more about the exhibit here, and more about Mr. Maharaj here.
By Hannah Green
Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, Democratic Alliance (DA), has been stripped of her responsibilities for her ineffective response to the city’s water crisis. This comes at a critical moment for the DA, which just recently overcame years of minimal political representation to gain power in the Western Cape Province.
In response to De Lille’s removal, the DA political party has taken over the city’s water task force. While this article addresses the constitutional implications of a political party stepping in to govern in place of an elected official, this crisis also has severe implications for the DA.
In a class discussion with Nicole Graham, DA Councillor and Deputy Leader, she explained how this removal could affect the party’s future. The DA is drawing criticism for removing the popular De Lille, which could reduce votes for the party in the Western Cape — the only province they have been able to capture since the party’s formation in 2000. After collecting approximately 22% of the vote in the last national election, Graham said this crisis could contribute to a decline in votes for the DA, hurting their role as the nation’s main opposition party.
