5 Key statements from the Zuma recall briefing.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on Tuesday announced the recall of President Jacob Zuma due, in part, to the "period of uncertainty and anxiety as a result of the unresolved matter of transition"
This is to mean, the decision by the NEC of the ANC to recall president Jacob Zuma as State president, is to give way for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to take the reins.
- The president apparently concurred on a basic level to leave and proposed a time frameof three to six months. The NEC couldn't help rejecting the time period and proposed definitive action with a specific end goal to "steer the country towards greater levels of unity, renewal and inclusive economic growth".
- No deadline has been set for Jacob Zuma to respond to the letter of the recall. Magashule said we should expect a statement from the president on Wednesday where the media will be invited.
The NEC has pledged support for Ramaphosa to take over as president of the country as he is the new president of the ANC. Magashule said: "We want comrade Ramaphosa to come in as the president of the country". One must also remember that Magashule is a close ally of President Jacob Zuma.
The NEC is not planning to bring any charges against the president nor have they decided to recall him due to wrongdoing on his part.
"We must treat Zuma as the president of South Africa. He has not been found guilty by a court of law. We didn't take
this decision because he did something wrong," Magashule said.
- The recall decision was not unanimous but it was announced as a collective. The secretary-general said many different views were aired in the lead-up to this decision but the final choice was made as a group. This displays the distinct divide within the ANC, there are indeed two centers of power and two faction still fighting for the "right" to govern and implement their policies.
