Zuma’s MK Party launches urgent motion to remove Ramaphosa – Here’s why

Ramaphosa

Cape Town – The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has officially submitted a motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of economic mismanagement, failure to act against corruption, and undermining public trust in governance.

The motion was delivered to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza on Tuesday by MKP parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe, who urged Parliament to urgently convene a special sitting to debate and vote on the matter.

The party’s criticism extended to the Government of National Unity (GNU), which it claimed was not committed to real reform.

According to MKP chief whip Colleen Makhubele, the recent firing of Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was a symbolic gesture that failed to address deeper systemic issues within the administration.

“The firing of the Minister of Higher Education is a very strategic thing to do on the part of President Ramaphosa. He’s doing that to get the support of the DA so that the DA would vote in favour of the budget,” Makhubele said.

“The minister of higher education became the sacrificial lamb, a soft target that was easy to remove, but she’s not the be-all and end-all of corruption.”

Despite supporting Nkabane’s dismissal, MKP said Ramaphosa’s failure to fire Police Minister Senzo Mchunu — particularly in light of serious allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi — highlighted selective accountability and a lack of decisive leadership.

Last week, the party warned it would initiate a motion of no confidence if Mchunu was not removed and Professor Firoz Cachalia’s appointment as acting minister was not reversed.

In the draft motion, Hlophe outlines a list of failures under Ramaphosa’s leadership, including:

  • Persistent high crime rates, with increases in murder, robbery, and gender-based violence.

  • A deteriorating police service unable to ensure public safety or prosecute high-profile offenders.

  • Allegations of interference in law enforcement agencies, particularly relating to syndicate operations within the SAPS.

  • Record-high unemployment and a lack of viable economic recovery strategies.

  • Failure to secure South Africa’s borders, leading to rising undocumented immigration and citizen safety concerns.

  • Inadequate responses to organised crime, including construction mafia activity and kidnappings.

Hlophe further criticised Ramaphosa’s lack of transparency in his campaign funding and his failure to act decisively against corruption in state-owned enterprises and government departments.

He dismissed claims that the motion was politically motivated, insisting instead that it was a “necessary step to prevent South Africa from spiralling further into instability.”

Meanwhile, the MK Party has vowed not to support the Appropriation Bill when it is tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, saying the budget does not address the needs of ordinary South Africans.

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