ANC says Zuma ‘must leave office quickly’

South African President Jacob Zuma must leave office promptly so that the country can move toward political stability and economic recovery, the ruling party said yesterday, finally disowning a leader who has been discredited by corruption scandals.

However, the African National Congress said it did not know whether the politically isolated president would heed the decision of the party’s national executive committee.

If Zuma, 75, refuses the order, parliament might vote on a motion of no confidence, deepening the embarrassment of the party that was the main movement against white minority rule and has led South Africa since apartheid ended in 1994.

“I don’t know what will happen,” said Ace Magashule, the ANC’S secretary-general. He said there was no deadline for the leader to reply. Zuma had agreed to resign and wanted to stay in office for several more months, but the national executive committee agreed that he had to leave at once.