/ 13 February 2018

ANC to announce special NEC decision on Zuma

The NEC's decision to recall Zuma would mean that Zuma is the second president to be recalled by the governing party after Thabo Mbeki was recalled in 2008.
The NEC's decision to recall Zuma would mean that Zuma is the second president to be recalled by the governing party after Thabo Mbeki was recalled in 2008.

The ANC will on Tuesday announce the outcomes of its special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting where President Jacob Zuma’s resignation was discussed in a marathon meeting that went on for 13 hours.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, the party said that it “regrets any inconvenience caused by the short notice” of the media briefing where it will make the announcement, which is set to begin at 2pm at Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters, in Johannesburg. 

On Tuesday morning, reports emerged the NEC had agreed to recall Zuma in its meeting after the president refused to resign unless he was given a three month “notice period”. The NEC refused this condition, and Zuma is reportedly ‘digging in his heels’ and stubbornly telling the party he won’t go. 

NEC members left the St George Hotel in Irene, at 3am after their meeting began at 2pm on Monday. On Monday night, at 10.34pm, Ramaphosa’s motorcade left the hotel. The deputy president arrived at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the official residence in Pretoria shortly after to tell him that the NEC had decided to recall him.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, who is likely to make the announcement on the outcomes of the NEC meeting, was also at Zuma’s house with Ramaphosa, according to reports.

The NEC has given Zuma one last chance to tender his resignation. He has 48-hours to resign. If he does not meet this deadline, the party will fire him.

But, opposition parties may not wait that long.

READ MORE: Zuma: Critical, but stable

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema gave a deadline of his own for Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete. In a letter to Mbete, the EFF requested that the motion of no confidence in Zuma be brought forward from February 22 to this week.

Malema said Mbete had not yet responded, and if she still does not reply by 10am on Tuesday, the EFF will launch an urgent court application forcing the matter.

In a united front, opposition parties announced on Monday that they refused to trust the ANC to handle Zuma’s exit because the party is complicit in his wrongdoing. Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said the parties agreed Parliament must be dissolved and an early national election should take place.

READ MORE: Ten good things Zuma did not mess up

The NEC’s decision to recall Zuma would mean that Zuma is the second president to be recalled by the governing party after Thabo Mbeki was recalled in 2008.

Mbeki agreed to resign after the NEC told him they would sack him. Zuma, however, remains defiant.