By Natasha Marrian | Nov 02, 2016 |
South Africa has won the first battle with the dropping of charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan but it has not won the war‚ ANC Gauteng leader Paul Mashatile told a packed St Albans Cathedral in Tshwane on Wednesday.
The ANC Gauteng chairman joined business‚ labour‚ civil society‚ ANC current members and stalwarts and opposition party leaders for the SaveSA assembly in support of democracy and holding government leaders accountable to the Constitution.
The most unlikely individuals sat together in the cathedral - among them was DA leader Mmusi Maimane‚ ANC stalwarts‚ Mashatile‚ SACP second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila‚ Business Unity SA head Jabu Mabuza‚ United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa and tourism minister Derek Hannekom.
Section 27`s Mark Heywood said it was arguably the most diverse gathering of South Africans since 1994‚ reminiscent of the United Democratic Front of the 1980`s.
The initiative was launched less than a month ago in the wake of the legal battles faced by Gordhan. He was due to appear in court on Wednesday‚ but the summons was withdrawn on Monday by the National Prosecuting Authority‚ but not before it had caused damage to an already ailing economy.
Mashatile addressed the crowd on Wednesday morning on behalf on the ANC in Gauteng. The party in the province had taken a decision to support Gordhan in court.
"We won the first battle when the charges were dropped... but we have not won the war. So its important that we don`t relax.
"Those bent on pulling the country down will continue if we do not stand up‚" he told the crowd.
The church broke into applause when it was announced that President Jacob Zuma had withdrawn his application to halt the release of the state capture report.
Mashatile added that SaveSA was not alone in its fight against corruption and added that the ANC would not tolerate state capture in its name and that there were many members supporting the initiative.
"Many more inside the ANC will walk with you on this road‚" he said.
ANC veteran Cheryl Corolus said the ANC had to take a stand and that there were many more good men and women in the party than there were engaging in state capture.
Mabuza said CEOs were coming out as citizens and South Africans. "We are opposed to injustice‚ including selective and malicious and or political prosecutions... we are here to state we support the rule of law‚" he said.
Mapaila said the ANC must "choose between South Africa and morally decadent leaders". He said the move against the ills in society was not about regime change as "rogue elements in intelligence" suggested.
Save SA convenor Sipho Pityana again called on Zuma to resign. He described the movement as a "countervaling force of people who are no longer prepared to put up with [Zuma`s] antics".
"South Africans are tired of a leader who is handled by people who have no respect for the Constitution‚" he said.