JOHANNESBURG APRIL 12, 2016(CISA)-The South African Council of Churches (SACC), an ecumenical body whose members include the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has called on the nation’s president to resign.
The call for President Jacob Zuma’s resignation follows a ruling by the nation’s Constitutional Court that Zuma illegally spent state funds on the renovation of Nkandla, his private homestead.
Addressing journalists April 8, SACC General Secretary Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana said they had met with high-ranking ANC leaders during a closed meeting at their Luthuli House headquarters April 8 in a bid to convince President Zuma to exit office.
“We were met by the leadership of the ANC. We were disappointed that the President and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa were not available during the meeting… We asked for the president to resign,” he said.
He said that during their talks with the ANC they could feel the pain and struggle that ANC leaders were grappling with, following the many calls for Zuma to resign, reported South Africa’s News 24.
Bishop Mpumlwana said they were representing all religious leaders in the sector and that their call for President Zuma’s resignation was pegged on his conduct as the ANC leader and South Africa’s President adding that they had heard the pain of their constituents and Zuma needed to heed the call to resign.
