SA loves me, insists Zuma

A defiant President Jacob Zuma told the ANC’s top six officials he remained popular with the public and therefore did not understand why they would want him to resign.

He also told ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation, at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria, that they did not have the mandate to call for his sacking as the party’s national executive committee (NEC) had never taken such a decision.

Zuma’s response led to the officials calling for an urgent extended national working committee (NWC) meeting yesterday to discuss his future. The meeting ran from 2pm until 8pm.

Details were still sketchy but a special NEC meeting will be held in Cape Town tomorrow.

The NWC meeting was expected to set up this urgent NEC meeting that may take the decision to recall Zuma. The NWC cannot take final decisions, but it can recommend them to the NEC – the highest decision-making body in between ANC conferences.

In an advisory note issued by the ANC last night, the party stated that yesterday’s NWC was called to discuss the outcomes of the meeting held between the national officials of the ANC and Zuma.

“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. Among 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 5th and 6th administration of government and pending actions in parliament.”

While Zuma was adamant that he would still deliver the Sona on Thursday, the NWC could ask for a postponement of the event to resolve the impasse.

A source with intimate knowledge of the discussions said Zuma told the officials he had delivered services better than his predecessors.

At the meeting, the president was told that he needed to step down because of possible embarrassment to the party that an impeachment or a successful motion of no confidence against him could pose.

But Zuma argued that he had defeated all the parliamentary motions that were brought against him previously, and that most ANC MPs would support him against the opposition onslaught.

There has been a push from opposition parties and civil society for Zuma not to address the opening of parliament on Thursday.

The EFF has threatened it will attempt to interdict the event if the ANC has not recalled Zuma by then.

Yesterday Zuma, who does not sit in the NWC, visited AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and the agenda of the meeting was not made public.

While ANC leaders, including Ramaphosa, were discussing Zuma’s future at Luthuli House, there was chaos outside the party headquarters as pro- and anti-Zuma supporters clashed.

A van carrying a group of people believed to be Black First, Land First (BLF) supporters were attacked as it approached the main entrance of Luthuli House.

The heavy police contingent had their hands full trying to separate the two groupings.

The BLF marched to Luthuli House in defence of Zuma and handed a memorandum to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, demanding that Zuma remain state president until his term of office ends next year.

Surrounded by BLF members and a heavily armed police just a few metres away from Luthuli House, BLF treasurer-general Thandiswa Yaphi said they would defend any attempts to remove Zuma from office.

“We note the reactionary conspiracy to remove President Zuma from office. We are here to warn the leadership of the African National Congress against instituting a coup against President Zuma,” Yaphi told Magashule.

The ANC condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the violence outside its building.

“Regardless of what some may deem as provocation by the Black First Land First Movement, who intended to march to Luthuli House, there will never be any justification for scenes such as the ones witnessed today“Disturbing in the extreme is the assault of women in such a callous and dehumanising manner,” said ANC spokeswoman Khusela Diko.