South Africa on tenterhooks as Zuma to respond to ouster push

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africans were on tenterhooks Wednesday as their scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma was expected to respond to his party’s decision to “recall” him from office in an atmosphere of growing political turmoil.

The embattled president, who could be ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence if he clings to office, has “agreed in principle to resign”, the secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Ace Magashule, said Tuesday.

A cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday was postponed indefinitely, the government said in a statement, effectively clearing Zuma’s diary for the day.

The power struggle over Zuma’s departure has put him at loggerheads with deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, his expected successor, who is the new head of the party.

Magashule told reporters that the party rejected Zuma’s proposal to step down in three to six months.

“Recalling” the head of state is a party-level instruction that the 75-year-old Zuma is under no constitutional obligation to obey.

Magashule said the decision “was taken only after exhaustive discussion on the impact such a recall would have on the country”.

He added that no date has been set for Zuma to step aside, and that there would be “continuing interaction” between ANC officials and the president.

The ANC’s national executive committee reached the decision after meeting for 13 hours at a hotel outside Pretoria.

A committee member confirmed to AFP that the president had asked for three more months in office, describing the request as “hogwash”.

– ‘He is an angry person’ –

Local media reported that Zuma was pushing for an exit deal that included covering his potentially ruinous legal fees from prolonged court battles against multiple criminal charges.

One case relates to 783 payments he allegedly received linked to an arms deal before he came to power.

He is also reportedly seeking legal protection for his family and other associates involved in controversial deals.

Susan Booysen, a political science professor at Stellenbosch University, said she expected that Zuma would resign — albeit grudgingly.