SA Parliament postpones Zuma’s speech amid pressure to quit ANC

The organisation first called for Zuma to resign more than a year ago. Zuma’s tenure officially runs until mid-2019. This comes soon after the ANC has convened National Working Committee meetings these past few days.

ANC spokeswoman Khusela Diko on Tuesday evening confirmed the postponement of the meeting.

According to ANC insiders Zuma told the ANC delegation led by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa that he had no intention of stepping down. “Zuma is a traditionalist and has a power base in KwaZulu-Natal province”, said political analyst Ralph Mathekga. Pro and anti Zuma ANC members marched on and gathered outside Luthuli House, which resulted in an ANC branch secretary, Thabang Setona, brutally assaulting a woman. He faces another no confidence vote later this month.

“The South African Communist Party condemns tribalism in the strongest terms possible and the ethnic mobilisation, including that of Amabutho (Zulu regiments) that President Jacob Zuma has apparently engaged in as part of his plan to continue overstaying his welcome in office”. The South African opposition called for another vote which will eventually take place February 22.

If Zuma refuses a call by the executive committee to resign, it could organise a caucus meeting in parliament to discuss ways of removing the president, such as bringing a no-confidence motion or supporting one from the opposition.

The rand, which has tended to strengthen on signs that Zuma could step down before his second term as president ends next year, was firmer on Tuesday. She said, however, that Zuma was taking the “matter seriously and understood the gravity of the matter”.

Zuma has been disgraced by several scandals most notably Nkandlagate where the country’s top court ruled that the president acted unconstitutionally and breached his oath of office when he permitted use of state resources to refurbish his private residence in Nkandla.

Mbete said when parliament approached the president to postpone the sitting, it discovered that the president has already written to parliament to ask for the postponement of the ceremony.

Duarte and fellow top-six member Magashule have backed Zuma. By taking this stance, the ANC is avoiding Zuma’s implications in corruption scandals.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the decision to postpone the Sona was “wise” and signalled “the end-game of the Zuma presidency”.