Opinion: Zuma must uphold the Constitution

WHAT is it that Jacob Zuma cannot or refuses to understand about our Constitution? Some of his recent public utterances have been beyond unwise.

And although the ANC will never admit this, it is heading for a crisis, sparked by a president who spends far too much time putting his foot in his mouth.

His statement over the weekend in which he put the ANC before country is nothing short of preposterous. It runs totally contrary to Section 2 of our Constitution. It is cheap, populist jargon.

Hard as this may seem to be, the ANC will have to find a way to rein in the president – because if they don’t, he is going to cost the party votes in the 2016 local government elections.

It has been said before that Zuma doesn’t read enough. In fact, in 2013, when a political consultant suggested he didn’t read “the proper stuff”, including cabinet briefs and the stuff that is “the meat and drink of a modern, sophisticated government”, Mac Maharaj, the then presidency spokesperson, described this description of Zuma as “incorrect, unfortunate and misleading”.

That’s fair enough.

Frankly, we are not interested in what our president reads. But what we are interested in, and what we do care about deeply, is for him to know the contents of our Constitution, especially the part dealing with the duties of the president.

It saddens us to have to remind Zuma that when he was elected president, he solemnly swore to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa.

He said he would obey, observe, uphold and maintain the Constitution and all other laws of the republic.

And he promised to promote all that would advance the republic, and oppose all that may harm it, that he would protect and promote the rights of all South Africans, and that he would devote himself to the well-being of South Africa and all its people.

These are serious commitments.

If President Zuma has any doubts about his ability to carry out these commitments, he should let the country know.

And then do the honourable thing...