ANC in KZN backs Zuma Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma

DURBAN. – The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says it does not see any reason for the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to call on President Jacob Zuma to step down.“We are not aware of any justified reasons for the president to not conclude his term of office,” ANC provincial spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said on Monday.

Ntuli was speaking outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court where Dawie Kriel, who stands accused of making a racist Facebook post, appeared.

Ntuli said the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the party had heard of the NEC development in the news.

“We heard that some people reported to the media that some (in the NEC) advanced a vote of no confidence for the president of the ANC.”

Ntuli said that had not been confirmed by “any leadership of our movement”.

“We regard it to be a rumour. Because it is a rumour, we are not prepared to glorify it and respond to it.”

He added: “What we know for a matter of fact is that we elected a national executive committee and President Zuma is the leader and we expect them to lead us up to the next conference.”

News24 earlier reported that at least three members of President Zuma’s Cabinet had led an impassioned call for him to step down or that the NEC vote to remove him.

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi asked him to resign. They were strongly supported by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu.

The president’s alleged improper relationship with the Gupta family, the decline in ANC support during the local government elections and the Nkandla scandal were given as reasons for him to step down.

Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in eThekwini has followed the example of its provincial leadership and backed President Zuma, following calls from within the NEC for him to step down.

“The African National Congress Youth League eThekwini region stands with President Jacob Zuma who is facing an opportunistic attack to his leadership at the national executive committee meeting currently underway in Pretoria,” the league said yesterday.

In a statement, the ANCYL called for Zuma to retain his position as president of the country and the ANC until his terms of office come to an end.

“Any attempt to remove President Zuma from his position engineered by agents of white monopoly capital will not succeed.”

According to the league, the party needed to carefully consider who it elected in its NEC next year.

“The ANC can no longer afford electing people through slates because that creates summertime revolutionaries such as the ones attacking President Zuma today.”

The league added that it had faith in national president Collen Maine and secretary Njabulo Nzuza.

“(They will) be able to isolate those captured by white monopoly capital and to successfully defeat their regime change agenda.”

News24 earlier reported that at least three members of Zuma’s Cabinet had led an impassioned call for him to step down or for the NEC to vote to remove him.

The ANC in the province threw its weight behind Zuma earlier in the day saying there was no cause for him to be removed.

At the time of going to print, President Zuma had returned to the NEC meeting, after he had met with visiting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. – News24/HR.

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