Last-gasp bid to block Zuma

OPPOSITION parties have joined forces in a last-ditch attempt to stop the ANC from gaining what appears to be a guaranteed two-thirds majority in Wednesday's polls.

Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota yesterday announced the formation of the ''Unashamedly Ethical'' campaign - a multiparty initiative aimed at curtailing president-in-waiting Jacob Zuma's future powers.

The campaign will also legally challenge the National Prosecuting Authority's controversial decision to withdraw corruption charges against the ANC president.

In addition to Cope, the initiative has the support of five other political parties - the DA, IFP, United Democratic Movement, African Christian Democratic Party and the Freedom Front Plus.

The initiative in no way heralds the formation of a united opposition party.

Lekota, who announced the campaign at a press conference in Pretoria yesterday, flanked by the ACDP's Kenneth Meshoe and Freedom Front Plus leader Jaco Mulder, said the parties had joined forces because they believed that the country's Constitution was under threat from Zuma's rule.

''We are both appalled and shocked at the ongoing violation of our Constitution by the ruling party,'' Lekota said.

He said the alliance would exist well beyond next week's election.

Steven Johnson of Unashamedly Ethical, a non-political organisation that will co-ordinate the initiative, said a fund would be created to fight the NPA's decision not to prosecute Zuma.

He said the coalition will lobby public support in defence of the Constitution and the rule of law.

Meshoe said there was a need for such a coalition following the ''Zanufication'' of state institutions.

The DA's John Moodey said: ''We have an obligation to ensure that we pursue these goals for the future of our children."

Lekota said topping the coalition's agenda was the NPA's decision not to charge the ANC president on the basis of allegedly compromising tape recordings between former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka.

Cope Western Cape premier candidate Allan Boesak yesterday criticised the DA's "Stop Zuma" campaign, saying it "reeks of swart gevaar tactics".

''Welcome to the world of the DA, a party infused with apartheid-style politics which has no place in our country,'' Boesak said in a statement.