President Jacob Zuma’s reaction to the Nkandla debacle kick-started “the current national crisis”, said ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang.

Msimang was speaking at the official launch of the Active Citizens’ Movement (ACM) in Durban on Saturday.

The ANC veteran said that civil organisations have a major role to play in ensuring the country gets back on track.

The Active Citizens’ Movement made headlines earlier this year when it clashed with the ANC Youth League at an ACM-hosted Ahmed Kathrada memorial event.

But the ACM has been mobilising since then, increasing its membership and building branches across Durban.

“ACM’s mission is to actually entrench democracy. We’re concerned about the fact that people have been marginalised in the new dispensation now and the fact that public officials are not accounting for positions they hold and so on. So with that in mind, it’s a very much democracy, (a) grass roots based kind of movement,” said organiser of the ACM, Yousuf Vawda.

Msimang told guests he and other party stalwarts had tried to advise Zuma but to no avail.

“Maybe resignation is something that only white monopoly capitalists do… He would have saved this country a lot if he did the right thing and moved away.”

The ANC veteran was asked about those who are vying to take over from Zuma as ANC leader in December.

“Some want to be the first female president. You ask them if they’ve ever visited an NGO that deals with communities and with women’s issues? No one… I think I would make a much better women’s president than some of the people,” he said.

Msimang said ordinary people have a responsibility to ensure the country is governed properly.

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