Ramaphosa zuma South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Jacob Zuma
Image source: Flickr

South Africa faced a ‘failed insurrection’ – Minister in the Presidency

The presidency has clarified the fact that South Africa has just faced a ‘failed insurrection’ despite high level claims to the contrary.

Ramaphosa zuma South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Jacob Zuma
Image source: Flickr

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has put the record straight and reiterated the president’s stance that South Africa had faced a “failed insurrection” despite claims to the contrary by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Ramaphosa had described the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal as a “failed insurrection” during his address to the nation on Friday 16 July.

“It is clear now that the events of the past week were nothing less than a deliberate, coordinated and well-planned attack on our democracy…Using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection,” Ramaphosa told the nation.

Mapisa-Nqakula later contradicted the president when she told the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on Sunday evening, that the unrest in South Africa was not an insurrection and there was nothing to suggest it had been an attempted insurrection or coup.

“The issue is, if it is an insurrection, then the insurrection must have a face. If it is an insurrection against the government. If it is about a coup, the coup will also have a face… but none of those so far talk to that,” News 24 Reported.

However, Ntshavheni told journalists at a briefing on Monday that she would like to clarify “the instance where the media is running with that the minister of defence has contradicted the president”.

“We want to clarify that the position of the government is that as articulated by the president of an attempt at insurrection in the country and that perspective is informed by discussions at the national security council which is chaired by the president. He receives briefings from the military commanders and also other law enforcement agencies and to that effect any contrary view we do not know where it comes from, it is not the view that is supported by any facts, by our law enforcement agencies, including the military.”

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni