Special NEC meeting could decide Zuma’s fate

Push for postponement of State of the Nation address on Thursday

THE ANC top brass will have a special meeting again tomorrow to disucuss President Jacob Zuma’s future, a day before the State of the Nation address.

Last night efforts to push Zuma out of office intensified, after he refused to step down at the meeting he had with the party’s Top Six leadership at the official residence at Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Pretoria on Sunday night.

ANC spokesperson Khusela Diko said after extensive deliberations at the meeting of the national working committee yesterday it was decided that a special national executive committee meeting be convened.

“Following extensive deliberation the national working committee resolved to convene a meeting of the national executive committee, which is the highest decision-making body of the ANC between conferences, on Wednesday, 7th February, 2018,” she said

“Amongst the issues to be tabled to the special NEC meeting will be preparations for the State of the Nation address (Sona) and a report back from the national working committee on matters mandated to it, including management of the transition between the fifth and sixth administration of government and pending actions in Parliament.”

It was unclear whether Zuma would be allowed to table the Sona. There was a push for the postponement of the Sona in order to have the special meeting to recall Zuma.

So rife was speculation on Zuma’s future the SABC was forced to distance itself from a social media post that he was going to address the nation at 7pm on his resignation.

The uncertainty around Zuma’s future hit the party’s caucus in Parliament, with his supporters and detractors readying themselves for a motion of no confidence against him should he continue to refuse to step down.

MPs supporting Zuma warned the party to guard against the “influence from people with ulterior motives” when recalling the incumbent from the Union Buildings.

Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi said the ANC should not be dictated to by opposition parties, and also argued there was no issue with the so-called two centres of power, a situation where Ramaphosa is party president and Zuma head of the state.

“We are from a conference where we voted comrade Cyril Ramaphosa to be the president of the ANC and had discussions on the need for a transition,” Mkongi said.