Julius Malema. Photo: Screengrab of Twitter video
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have vowed to disrupt parliament if President Cyril Ramaphosa is allowed to deliver the budget vote for his office.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Presidency said that Ramaphosa would update the nation on Friday on the progress of government since delivering the State of Nation Address (Sona) this year.
EFF leader Julius Malema gave Ramaphosa an ultimatum to step down with immediate effect or suffer the same fate as former president Jacob Zuma.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Malema said Ramaphosa had failed to prove to South Africans that he is a worthy president, and should thus vacate the highest office in the land.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa refuses to provide key details of $4 million robbery
The president has come under fire for the DollarGate scandal after former spy boss Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa, accusing him of concealing a crime from the police.
Malema said Ramaphosa’s duties must be delegated to Deputy President David (DD) Mabuza.
“We do not rule out a possibility of a shutdown to demand that the president must step aside. We don’t want the president to address budget on Thursday. The budget must be addressed by the deputy president because the president must be at the police station explaining himself.”
“Parliament is not a place of criminals, parliament is a place of honourable members and therefore the president shall be treated the same way we treated the president who disrespected our constitution,” Malema said.
The red berets on Tuesday also released the videos of the robbery at Ramaphosa’s Phala Pahala game farm where it is believed at least $ 4 million (R61.8 million) was stolen.
Fraser in his criminal complaint claims the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid off to keep silent about the robbery.
Ramaphosa’s office said Fraser’s credibility and reasons for opening a criminal case against the president should be interrogated.
The president is yet to provide the key details on the now infamous 2020 robbery and has defended himself saying he never stole any money without anybody accusing him of stealing money.
ALSO READ: WATCH: EFF releases videos allegedly showing $4 million robbery at Ramaphosa’s farm
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