(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
A special meeting of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) which was expected to discuss President Jacob Zuma’s future in office has been postponed, the ANC announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and Zuma are said to have convened a meeting on Tuesday evening. Following their meeting, the NEC special meeting which was scheduled for February 7 has now been postponed until February 17 and 18, News24 reported.
The NEC meeting was scheduled after members of the governing party’s National Working Committee (NWC) met on Monday night. ANC insiders revealed to the Mail & Guardian the NWC adopted a resolution that the state of the nation address (Sona) – initially scheduled for Thursday – should be postponed until Zuma resigns.
On Tuesday afternoon, Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete announced that Sona has been postponed for no longer than a week.
The ANC has confirmed that the NEC meeting has been postponed after Zuma and Ramaphosa had been engaged in a “constructive discussion” during their meeting.
On Tuesday evening, the South African Communist Party (SACP) released a statement alleging Zuma was preparing to sack Ramaphosa to make way for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to become acting president after he resigns.
The Presidency released a statement in response declaring the allegation “preposterous and outrageous”.