In an exclusive interview with SABC TV on Wednesday at his official residence in Pretoria‚ Mahlamba Ndlopfu‚ President Zuma said the national executive committee’s decision to recall him was irrational as he had done no wrong.
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President of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa at a stage left the meeting at St.Georges Hotel, outside of Pretoria to discuss with Zuma.
But if Zuma is simply asked to resign and refuses to do so, the matter might end up in parliament for a possible motion of no confidence or even impeachment proceedings highlighting disarray in the ruling party, which has led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.
In response to Zuma’s step, the ANC leadership postponed an emergency meeting called for last Wednesday and started negotiations between Ramaphosa and the South African President.
“I have got mixed feelings”, said Johan Van Vuren, 32, a photographer in Johannesburg.
South Africa’s economy has stagnated during Zuma’s nine-year tenure, with banks and mining companies reluctant to invest because of policy uncertainty and rampant corruption.
Ramaphosa took over the party’s leadership in December a year ago as pressure mounted on Zuma to step down.
“Recalling” the head of state is a party-level instruction that the 75-year-old Zuma is under no constitutional obligation to obey.
Domestic media have speculated that Zuma might yet defy the party’s wishes, forcing it into the indignity of having to unseat him in parliament. He has previously survived eight parliamentary no-confidence votes since becoming president in 2009. It was called to decide on a transition of power to the party’s new leader, Cyril Ramaphosa, said the people, who declined to be identified because the decision hasn’t been made public.
If Zuma resigns, the cabinet would stay, Mashatile said, but should he be removed via a no confidence vote, the entire cabinet would have to be removed, the ANC treasurer general added.
The sources who spoke to News24 on condition of anonymity, could not say if the meeting had decided on the next step if Zuma refused to resign.
In 2016, South Africa’s highest court ruled that Zuma violated his oath of office when he used an estimated $15 million of government money to upgrade his private home.
In 2008, Zuma’s supporters pushed out then-president Thabo Mbeki via a similar “recall” manoeuvre over allegations of abuse of power. And 18 corruption charges, stemming from a 1990s arms deal, were dropped before he became president and have not been reinstated.
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The deputy in question was Jacob Zuma, who took over the presidency the following year.
