African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma said the country would become even better if he became president, the Star reported on Thursday.
Speaking at the 1926 Club at Johannesburg’s Rand Club, Zuma’s response to those who were thinking of leaving SA if he became president was: ”I can assure you that this country will become even better.”
He reportedly denied that either he or his spokesperson had told a Johannesburg weekend newspaper that if he went down, he would take the ANC with him.
Zuma said that if one examined the article closely, it attributed the remark to one of his supporters. However, he did not say whether the remark accurately reflected his sentiments, the Star said.
He said that he wanted the ANC congress in Polokwane next month to introduce term limits for its presidents, with the aim of preventing two conflicting centres of power emerging within the ruling party.
Zuma reportedly said the party had, at its Mafikeng congress in 1997, briefly debated whether it should introduce term limits by bringing the ANC and national presidential terms into line — but had decided against it.
He believed term limits had become an issue again and should be debated in Polokwane — ”rather than leaving matters to chance”.
‘So-called corruption charges’
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union said earlier this month that Zuma is the only man who can steer the ANC-led tripartite alliance back to its leftist tradition and worker bias.
Sadtu held a national general council meeting in Johannesburg where it said the whole process of the ”so-called corruption charges” against Zuma has long lost any credibility.
”Zuma’s leadership capabilities, and our support for his candidacy as ANC president by ANC branches, are unshaken and stronger than ever,” said Sadtu spokesperson John Lewis in a statement.
On November 8, the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld an appeal by the Scorpions against a Durban High Court order setting aside five search warrants against Zuma and his attorney Michael Hulley. – Sapa