ANALYSIS: If Jacob Zuma is removed, will Cyril Ramaphosa take over?
It would be cumbersome for Ramaphosa‚ as ANC leader and deputy president of SA‚ to give instruction to a placeholder president who would be his junior politically but superior in government, writes Ranjeni Munusamy
Who will be SA’s next president? With Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa giving a clear indication in television interviews on Sunday that the ANC was about to confront the issue of President Jacob Zuma’s future‚ the question arose of who would be the new Number One. There is speculation that Ramaphosa might not immediately replace Zuma because it could affect his ability to serve two terms as president if he stepped in before the 2019 elections. The South African Constitution has a two-term limit for the presidency. This speculation is, however, unfounded as the Constitution has a specific clause on such an eventuality. "No person may hold office as president for more than two terms‚ but when a person is elected to fill a vacancy in the office of president‚ the period between that election and the next election of a president is not regarded as a term." Ramaphosa is therefore free to become president immediately once Zuma is removed. In order to implement his priority tasks‚ such as ...
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