Ramaphosa keeps anxious South Africans guessing
WHILE South Africans have been left anxiously waiting for official news on President Zuma leaving office, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has provided a little reprieve to that wait. In short, it’s all about waiting.
While not just releasing a statement, Ramaphosa took the opportunity to write an open letter to South Africans addressing the uncertainty around the current political situation.
Ramaphosa’s comments come at a time when many were expecting some sort of final announcement yesterday regarding Zuma’s future. Now, it looks like any official notice of resignation may only come in the next few days.
The Presidency yesterday also announced that Zuma will be hosting an awards ceremony on February 10. With the ANC NEC meeting now only scheduled for the 17th, will the people of South African have to wait for an entire week to get presidential closure? We’ll keep you updated every step of the way. Meanwhile, there is no need for South Africans to be anxious over the fate of President Jacob Zuma, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said.
He spoke to News24 on Tuesday evening after the ANC’s announcement that the much-anticipated national executive committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for yester`day, had been postponed. The aim of the meeting was to discuss Zuma’s fate as head of state.
The party announced that the decision was taken following “fruitful and constructive” engagements between Zuma and Ramaphosa.
Magashule said the two leaders wanted an opportunity to continue their talks.
Ramaphosa and Zuma’s meeting was held following the decision by Parliament’s presiding officers to postpone the State of the Nation Address that was scheduled for today.
“I am definitely confident that the ANC will do the right thing not to disappoint South Africa,” said Magashule. He added that the 106-year-old liberation movement would act responsibly to renew and unite itself.
On Monday, a decision was taken by the party’s national working committee to hold the special NEC meeting to discuss Zuma’s recall.
This was after Zuma refused to resign when asked to do so by the party’s top six officials during a meeting on Sunday. “South Africans must not worry, the ANC will find its own solutions to the challenges facing the country and the ANC,” said Magashule.
He told News24 that he had later joined the meeting between Ramaphosa and Zuma.
However, he would not divulge the details of the two leaders’ engagement.
Magashule said he expected Ramaphosa to give a report to the NEC on his talks with Zuma.
The NEC is the ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences.
“The president [Ramaphosa] might actually give us a report on his meeting with President Zuma, the constructive meeting... the fruitful meeting,” he concluded.
The NEC meeting will now be held on February 17 and 18, dates on which an NEC meeting had already been scheduled.
Zuma, in power since 2009 and beset by corruption allegations, has been in a weakened position since Ramaphosa replaced him as ANC leader in December.
The 75-year-old has been South Africa’s most controversial president since the end of white-minority rule in 1994, overseeing a tumultuous nine years marked by economic decline and numerous allegations of corruption.
The delay increased speculation that a deal for Zuma to resign had been ironed out. Times Live, an online news service, quoted sources as saying Zuma would resign as soon as a list of preconditions had been finalised.
Zuma was seen entering his Cape Town offices yesterday morning, according to footage broadcast on local television. He is due to take part in cabinet committee meetings during the day, his office said in a statement.
Speaker Baleka Mbete suggested South Africans would get clarity on his fate within hours.
“In this day there will be some progress which the president of the ANC will be ready to come back to us about,” she told the eNCA television channel.
Zuma’s spokesman declined to comment on Mbete’s remarks.