South Africa’s embattled President Jacob Zuma has been given a day to resign or face vote of no confidence. This development follows a recall by the National Executive Committee of the governing African National Congress.
President Zuma today concludes a 50-minute interview South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). He has left more questions than answers, refusing to answer whether he will comply with his party’s demands. Instead Zuma promised to issue a statement later today.
“I am not defying the ANC. I said, I don’t agree,” Mr. Zuma said, insisting he hasn’t been given reasons for the recall. “I joined the ANC very young, taken instruction to areas where I would have been killed for the first time I have a problem with the leadership. ‘Not defying, I’ve said I don’t agree.”
“I indicated to the top six that what they have raised is not the first time. They have raised it in the NEC itself twice and nobody has ever been able to tell me what the issue is. The NEC themselves said that I must resign‚ and I find that very strange that I should do so because this is not the first time that they’ve said this‚” Zuma told Mzwandile Mbeje of SABC.
“It’s not a new matter. I need to be furnished with what is it that I have done and unfortunately nobody has been able to tell me what is it that I’ve done. There are processes in the ANC that need to be followed if I have been doing something wrong‚” he said.
Meanwhile, the ANC is waiting for President Zuma’s statement before moving ahead with impeachment proceedings.
Read below the ANC’s latest statement:
The African National Congress (ANC) has noted the context to the decision of the NEC to recall Comrade Jacob Zuma, as a deployee of the ANC, provided by President Zuma in an exclusive interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) earlier today.
President Zuma has affirmed that he has not defied the ANC, however does not agree with the decision.
In addition, President Zuma committed to deliver a statement in response to this decision later today.
The African National Congress will await delivery of this response by President Zuma.
Ends