No one seems to know who the president currently is
With Ramaphosa out of the country and Mabuza allegedly 'AWOL', the DA wants the president to announce an acting head of state urgently.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza are seen sharing a light hearted moment outside the Skweyiya family’s residence during a visit after the passing of Dr Zola Skweyiya to pay their respects, 12 April 2018, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
After the presidency confirmed on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa is on a working visit to the European Union today and tomorrow, it’s now apparently unclear who is acting for him.
Even the DA asked in a cheeky press release on Wednesday, “Who is the President?”, since Deputy President David Mabuza’s whereabouts allegedly remain unknown.
DA MP John Steenhuisen said: “Deputy President Mabuza is reportedly in Russia on sick leave, leaving South Africa with no executive head in the absence of both the president and vice-president. While the president’s duties are not being met, his deputy’s parliamentary duties remain abandoned too.”
News24 has, however, reported that Mabuza’s passport stamps show he returned to the country over the weekend.
“The ANC government has literally left the country with no leadership and no time or effort was made to announce who will be acting in their absence,” said Steenhuisen.
They called on Ramaphosa to announce an acting president immediately.
“The fact that no announcement has been made in the wake of the deputy president going AWOL raises questions on whether the country has been left in reliable hands.”
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is possibly now the de facto deputy to Ramaphosa because of the regular absences of Mabuza, whose frequent “sick leave” has been criticised, including the latest – apparently a medical check-up in Russia for alleged poisoning.
According to Congress of the People spokesperson Dennis Bloem, Dlamini-Zuma has been doing Mabuza’s duties while he has been “playing truant”.
The deputy president has been on sick leave since October 25 and has not set foot in the presidency since.
It emerged he had gone for a “routine check-up in Russia as a follow-up to his first treatment there for poisoning”.
Mabuza’s spokesperson, Thami Ngwenya, denied his visit was “secretive” or “drawn out”.
Steenhuisen pointed out that Mabuza had not done his parliamentary duties or his duties as a leader of government business “for the better part of the third parliamentary term”.
(Edited by Charles Cilliers)
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