Ramaphosa warns NEC not to misuse his name when getting tenders
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has warned national executive committee (NEC) members never to speak in his name.
This is because previously ANC leaders would do wrong things and get tenders or jobs, saying it was an instruction from the president.
President Jacob Zuma has been used several times, including when the Gupta family landed at a national key point at the Air Force Base in Waterkloof in 2013, but has never distanced himself.
Ramaphosa also told NEC members that all the lobby groups that were set up by different presidential hopefuls ahead of last year’s elective national conference should disband.
This formed part of his message when he opened and closed the NEC meeting in Irene, Pretoria, last week.
Ramaphosa told the leaders that it was also important to read the mood of the people and it was important for the new leadership to do things differently.
This lead to the NEC agreeing that the governing party should make decisions based on research rather than factions.
“He was clear that corruption has to be dealt with urgently and we must reconnect with the people,” a senior ANC leader who attended the meeting said.
Meanwhile, the ANC officials are holding Zuma hostage.
The leaders who are led by Ramaphosa have three options for Zuma to vacate the highest office.
The ANC NEC overwhelmingly told officials that Zuma must go now, or else the process will be left to parliament.
This means he could be impeached or a motion of no confidence would be tabled in parliament.
“The mood in the country is for change. The longer Zuma stays, the people will lose confidence in the new leadership of the ANC,” sources that attended the ANC meeting told the Daily Dispatch, adding that that is what most NEC members had said.
However, other NEC members who were re-elected back into the NEC claimed that the previous NEC had agreed that Zuma must finish his term as president of the country.
“This was defeated by other members who proved that the previous NEC never took such a decision,” another NEC member said.
Yesterday, Zuma’s office released a statement that gave an indication that Zuma is going nowhere.
Zuma’s public diary indicates that Zuma would deliver the state of the nation address on February 8.
Yesterday ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said there was no time frame given as to when Zuma should vacate his office.
“The officials will remain busy with the matter. This matter was discussed at the NEC. The matter is with officials. There are no time lines. There will be interaction between President Jacob Zuma and [ANC] president Cyril Ramaphosa. We engage, discuss and process things. Give us that space.”
Magashule said the ANC has not arrived at the decision that Zuma should go or should not go, something that sources claim was not true.
“This is an issue which is being discussed.”
Magashule said the only way to renew the ANC was to first resolve matters internally.
“We agree that the ANC is the centre of the power. There’s a need to act urgently to build the bond between the ANC and society.”
The ANC has decided to establish an interim structure in KwaZulu and Free State. This follows the disbanding of the KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provincial executive committees.