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SAFRICA-POLITICS
ANC chiefs to meet to ‘finalise’ Zuma exit
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Top leaders of South Africa’s
ruling ANC will meet Monday to “finalise” the departure of embattled
President Jacob Zuma after party chief Cyril Ramaphosa promised to bring
“closure” to the crisis.
Ramaphosa said at a party rally in Cape Town on Sunday he wanted to
replace “a period of difficulty, disunity and discord” with “a new beginning”
for the party.
“We know you want this matter to be finalised,” he said to rapturous
cheering, vowing to tackle the corruption that has tarnished Zuma’s
government.
Zuma has clung to power after rejecting a request by his party’s senior
officials to resign a week ago.
The powerful committee could recall the president from office, though he
would be under no constitutional obligation to obey the order.
“We know you want closure — we will be doing so keeping our eyes on what
is in the interests of all our people,” Ramaphosa said to loud applause on
Sunday.
“The National Executive Committee of the ANC will be meeting tomorrow to
discuss this very matter — and because our people want this matter to be
finalised, the NEC will be doing precisely that.”
Litha Madita, 48, an NGO worker from Cape Town, welcomed the announcement
of the NEC meeting, adding that Ramaphosa has spoken “to the aspirations of
the South Africans”.
“It brings hope that there is a new venture we are getting into.
“But we have to respect (Zuma) as a former president of the ANC. It is
important not to disrupt the country or bring violence into the country.”
Zuma’s presidency has been marred by corruption scandals, slow economic
growth and record unemployment that have fuelled public anger.
The stalemate over Zuma’s departure has left Africa’s most developed
economy in limbo, with a series of public events cancelled last week
including Thursday’s State of the Nation address to parliament.
Opposition parties last week had threatened a “national shutdown” in
response to Zuma’s refusal to resign — although it was unclear if the action
would go ahead. – Dispute over exit deal? –
Zuma’s hold over the ANC was shaken in December when his chosen successor
— his former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma — narrowly lost out to Ramaphosa
in a vote to be the new party leader.
Sunday’s rally was part of ANC celebrations marking 100 years since late
leader Nelson Mandela’s birth — as well as efforts by Ramaphosa to try to
revive the party’s tainted reputation ahead of next year’s general election.
“We have arrived at a moment in the history of our country where we can
relive that moment when Nelson Mandela was released… we have a new mood
right across the country, we can capture that mood and move forward,” said
Ramaphosa.
He was speaking to mark the 28th anniversary of the speech Mandela gave in
the same location after being released from prison.
It is understood that a key sticking point in the negotiations is the
potentially ruinous legal fees Zuma is facing from prolonged court battles
against multiple criminal cases.
He is also reportedly seeking legal protection for his family and other
associates who have been involved in controversial deals.
“Even if the ANC meeting on Monday decides Zuma needs to step down, he can
still refuse because they have no legal authority,” Mcebisi Ndletyana,
politics professor at the University of Johannesburg, told AFP.
“He is not willing to step down voluntarily. They need to close this thing
early this week.”
Opposition parties are calling for a parliamentary vote of no-confidence
within days.
– Decision time? –
The ANC has insisted there will be no delay to the budget, which is due on
February 21.
Zuma has not spoken publicly since being asked to resign by senior ANC
officials on February 4.
In 2008, the party pushed out then-president Thabo Mbeki over allegations
of abuse of power.
Under Zuma, the ANC won less than 54 percent of the vote in local
elections in 2016.
That was its worst electoral performance since coming to power with
Mandela at the helm in 1994.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1016 hrs