Senior ANC leaders are engaged in urgent secret talks to
negotiate an exit for President Jacob Zuma, possibly as early as next month.
Surprisingly, the talks are being driven by close allies of
the president who are trying to negotiate a way for Zuma to leave office
without him being embarrassed.
With Cyril Ramaphosa having been elected ANC president this
week, concerns are growing among people close to Zuma that there will be
immediate attempts to recall him.
Tomorrow Anglican Church Archbishop Thabo Makgoba is
expected to exert pressure on Ramaphosa to force Zuma out. Church insiders say
Makgoba would use his Christmas sermon to call on the national executive
committee, backed by the party's MPs, to act "boldly and quickly" to
remove Zuma.
Yesterday Zuma gave his enemies ammunition to call for his
head as early as the first NEC meeting next month, when he lodged an appeal
against a judgment by the High Court in Pretoria that ordered him to establish
a commission of inquiry into state capture. The 11-page appeal cites about 20
grounds on which Zuma will argue against rulings that he should personally pay
costs and that he must institute the judicial commission, among others.
Zuma's appeal is in defiance of a resolution of the ANC
conference that instructed him to set up the inquiry "expeditiously".
Ramaphosa's backers are expected to argue that Zuma's
appeal is proof that the two centres of power - with Zuma calling the shots at
the Union Buildings and Ramaphosa at Luthuli House - will not work and that
Zuma will have to vacate office.
Ramaphosa's camp holds a slim majority in the newly elected
NEC and there is anticipation that it might raise the issue as soon as the
first NEC meeting ahead of the party'sJanuary 8 anniversary celebrations in
East London, scheduled for January 13.
One of the people involved in the talks is new
secretary-general Ace Magashule. Police Minister and NEC member Fikile Mbalula
has also made contact with several senior ANC leaders, including those close to
Ramaphosa, asking them to help negotiate a deal.
The Sunday Times has learnt that secret meetings are
planned after Christmas to discuss ways to manage Zuma's exit.
While Zuma's supporters want an amicable exit, it is
difficult to negotiate any form of amnesty deal under South African law that
would protect Zuma from facing trial.
Corruption charges stemming from his relationship with his
former financial adviser Schabir Shaik are pending against the president and
evidence could surface against him once the judicial commission of inquiry into
state capture commences.
South African law has no provision for amnesty prior to
trial on criminal charges. There would have to be some admission of wrongdoing
on Zuma's part, which his supporters know would be difficult to extract.
Had Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma been elected ANC president, Zuma
would have been cushioned, but now his supporters accept that an early
departure is inevitable. Times
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