ANC put on the spot
President Jacob Zuma may have survived calls from within the ANC’s national executive committee to step down, but his power over the party is weakening
President Jacob Zuma survived a near putsch at an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend, but it is clear that his power is waning. The road ahead for Zuma’s opponents will be long and arduous, as the ANC emphasised unity and roundly rejected calls for Zuma’s removal as president. Retribution for the surprise move against Zuma — led by his own ministers — is likely to follow, but a pending cabinet reshuffle has been thwarted, at least for now. What is also clear from the extended NEC meeting is that Zuma is oblivious to his leadership defects, saying he is being targeted by powerful opponents and that he believes he is a good leader. His closing address to the NEC was classic Zuma in which he played the victim, saying there was a plot against him by foreign governments, with three attempts at poisoning him. He also defended his relationship with the Gupta family in the face of harsh criticism that his ties to the family were compromising him. This is the fir...
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