Zuma took too long to step down – Hanekom
NEC member in Bay to brief branches on recall decision
THE ANC is in a better position to contest next year’s national elections – but had former president Jacob Zuma stepped down when calls for his resignation began in 2016, the organisation as a whole would be stronger.
That was the view of ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Derek Hanekom, who was in Port Elizabeth at the weekend to brief branches on the party’s decision to recall Zuma last week.
In an interview with The Herald after the closed meeting at the Nangoza Jebe Hall, Hanekom said he was happy that someone of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s calibre was now at the helm.
Zuma resigned late on Wednesday night, following mounting pressure from the ANC’s highest decision-making body and a pending vote of no confidence in parliament.
This ushered in a new political leadership with Ramaphosa sworn in as head of state.
Hanekom, who was one of the first to start calling for Zuma to step down, said: “I think we made the correct call – starting as far back as November 2016 when we asked the president to seriously consider resigning in the best interest of our country and our organisation, and he did not.
“It’s not as if it was a unanimous view. It was a minority view and it was reiterated in May and again he did not appreciate that message and then [it] came from alliance leaders, veterans, civil society.”
Hanekom said although he was happy about Zuma’s decision to step down, he felt far from vindicated as it had happened too late.
“I don’t feel vindicated. I feel it could have been done a lot earlier.”
He said the meeting was to brief branches on why the decision to recall Zuma had been made.
“The branches have said we should speak in one voice. There was a bit of concern that sometimes senior members of the ANC say contradictory things.”
He said those who had attended the meeting felt the party was in a better position leading up to next year’s elections.
Insiders who attended Saturday’s closed meeting said the agenda was, however, overshadowed by provincial issues, including the Eastern Cape conference in October that turned violent.
The meeting was attended by 40 branches, leagues and alliance partners.
ANC Bay chairman Phumzile Tshuni said: “We appreciate the report-back and we commend the mature manner in which the NEC handled the matter.
“Some of the branch leaders wanted to know how far the NEC’s commission of inquiry, led by Sbu Ndebele, was in compiling a report on the provincial conference.”
Tshuni said they had been told the matter had not been dealt with as the NEC was dealing with the smooth transition of power.
Similar meetings were held across the province as well as in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend.
NEC members were yesterday locked in a closed leadership meeting with KwaZulu-Natal branch members in Durban to explain the recall of Zuma.
Branch chairpersons and their secretaries were briefed by members of the national and provincial leadership on the reasons for Zuma’s recall at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
KwaZulu-Natal is a traditional foothold of support for Zuma and a powerful voter base for the ANC.
NEC members Zweli Mkhize and Barbara Creecy‚ as well as KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu, were among the delegates expected to address the branch leadership in Durban. – Additional reporting by TimesLIVE