The protesters trooped out in thousands at the early hours of today chanting war songs as they demand President Jacob Zuma to tender his resignation letter.
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President Zuma is due to deliver a state of the nation address to parliament on Thursdayand faces a new no-confidence vote against his leadership on February 22.
Zuma, who’s due to deliver the state-of-the-nation address on Thursday (Friday NZT), defied calls by the top six leaders to resign at a meeting on Sunday, according to five senior party officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mbete told a hastily arranged press conference on Tuesday that she resolved to send a letter to Zuma to request him to postpone the address, but that Zuma decided of his own volition to do so.
Mr Mbete said the decision to postpone the speech was made in the “best interests” of South Africa.
Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete told reporters outside the parliament in Cape Town they had written to the president informing him about the postponement.
On Sunday, 4 February, the ANC Top 6 announced that they have officially asked President Jacob Zuma to step down.
“There were different views”. An anti-Zuma picket will also be taking place outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Zuma has not said whether he will step down voluntarily before his second term as president ends next year. If he acquiesces in the decision and resigns, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will occupy the office of the president and deliver SONA.
With a general election set for 2019, the ANC will be keen to distance itself from any more negative press – and therefore it is perhaps not surprising that Mr Ramaphosa was elected the party leader on an anti-corruption platform. “Zuma is a traditionalist and has a power base in KwaZulu-Natal province”, said political analyst Ralph Mathekga.
Ramaphosa, 65, is in a strong position to become the next president and has been lobbying for Zuma’s removal.
“Mr Zuma lodged a challenge with the Supreme Court of Appeal but it ruled he should face the charges”.
Many graft allegations against him have centred on the wealthy Gupta family, who are accused of unfairly obtaining lucrative government contracts and even being able to choose ministerial appointments.
Monday’s meeting can not directly oust the president.
The influential Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement “time is of the essence – Zuma must go”. “We also call on the ANC to take drastic measures against this individual”. Both possibilities, which Gebhuza argues, will be hard to execute given Zuma’s defiance, as well as potential blowback from those in the party who still support him.
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If he loses it – which he probably will – he faces instant dismissal and the loss of his lucrative pension and other retirement perks.
