South Africa’s ruling party will hold high-level talks on the future of Jacob Zuma
Update: the ANC has announced it will postpone this meeting until February 17, citing “constructive discussions”.
The National Executive Council of the African National Congress (ANC) will meet today to decide on the future of President Jacob Zuma.
Though Zuma isn’t scheduled to step down until 2019, many in the party want the ANC to begin distancing itself from the president’s myriad scandals ahead of that year’s general election. To that end, Zuma’s internal opponents want Deputy President and newly-minted ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as early as possible.
While Zuma has held on in the past, his position is deteriorating. His state of the nation address, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed and he has reportedly rejected private entreaties to resign from ANC leaders.
The party executive could recall Zuma, which would likely lead either to his resignation or a parliamentary confidence vote that he would surely lose. Even if the executive opts not to recall, the meeting will still likely see top ANC leaders call for Zuma’s resignation, weakening him ahead of a February 22 confidence vote.
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