Tinotenda Hove- National Progressive Democrats leader Togara Fambi has launched a scathing attack on former South African President Thabo Mbeki, describing his call for President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC Top Seven to resign as questionable thinking on democratic accountability.

Fambi said he had seen no indication that Ramaphosa intends to step down following the ANC’s poor showing in the recently concluded local government elections.

“I haven’t come across any announcement by Cyril Ramaphosa indicating his intention to resign from the ANC following the party’s poor performance in the recently concluded local government elections. Perhaps I missed it,” Fambi said.

He said he was, however, concerned by Mbeki’s suggestion that Ramaphosa and the ANC leadership should resign over the results.

“I am, however, drawn to Thabo Mbeki’s statement suggesting that Ramaphosa and the ANC’s Top Seven should resign following the disappointing election results,” he said.

Fambi linked Mbeki’s position to his controversial role in Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement (GPA), which he said left Robert Mugabe with more power despite losing the 2008 presidential election.

“I believe this line of thinking helps explain why Mbeki misled Zimbabweans during the botched Global Political Agreement (GPA), an arrangement that left Robert Mugabe with considerably more power despite having lost the 2008 presidential election,” he said.

According to Fambi, the ANC’s electoral decline is itself proof that democracy is working in South Africa, because voters were free to punish those in power through the ballot.

“The ANC’s electoral decline is, in itself, a demonstration of how democracy should work. South Africa has created a democratic environment in which voters can freely express their dissatisfaction with those in power through the ballot,” he said.

He argued that losing an election does not automatically mean leaders must resign, as voters may simply be changing their preferences.

“When a political party loses an election, it may reflect weaknesses in leadership, organisation and political mobilisation. However, it may also mean that voters are changing their political preferences. Whatever the reasons, the electorate’s decision must be respected,” Fambi said.

“Demanding that political leaders resign simply because voters have expressed dissatisfaction does not necessarily strengthen democracy. Sometimes, the most important thing a political party can do is accept the people’s verdict, congratulate the electorate for exercising its democratic rights and begin the process of rebuilding public trust,” he added.

Fambi said Mbeki should have praised the ANC leadership for allowing voters to express dissatisfaction peacefully, instead of making resignations the main issue.

“Mbeki should arguably have been congratulating the ANC leadership for allowing voters to communicate their dissatisfaction through the ballot rather than making leadership resignations the central issue,” he said.

He contrasted South Africa’s situation with Zimbabwe, where he said opposition activity is restricted and democratic space continues to shrink.

“Here, opposition political activity faces serious restrictions, democratic space continues to shrink, and citizens have faced violence, arrests and intimidation for exercising their constitutional rights and demanding political change,” Fambi said.

“Zimbabweans are increasingly expected to watch from the sidelines as ZANU PF’s internal succession battles are transformed into national constitutional crises,” he said.

“In South Africa, voters can punish a governing party at the ballot box. In Zimbabwe, even the question of who should govern has become a source of political intimidation and constitutional controversy,” he added.

Fambi ended with a strong defence of democracy and the people’s vote.

“A PRESIDENT IS NOT A KING. A POLITICAL PARTY IS NOT THE OWNER OF A COUNTRY. AND THE PEOPLE’S VOTE MUST ALWAYS MATTER,” he said.

“That is what democracy is supposed to protect,” he said.