Category Archives: South African News

News24.com | Zuma to be recalled after refusing to resign, sources say

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Cape Town – The ANC national executive committee (NEC) has decided to recall President Jacob Zuma at its marathon meeting in Irene on Monday.

This brings to an end the stand-off between ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and Zuma.

The writing seemed on the wall for Zuma on Sunday, when Ramaphosa announced, in his address at the launch of the ANC’s Nelson Mandela centenary celebration in Cape Town, that the matter would be resolved at Monday’s NEC meeting.

“As the leadership of the African National Congress, we are currently engaged in discussions around the transition to a new administration and specifically to resolve the issues of the position of the President of the Republic,” he said.

“The successful resolution of this matter has significant consequences for the country and for the African National Congress.”

Ramaphosa didn’t provide any detail on the discussions he had with Zuma. However, he said it was important that these discussions were managed with “care and purpose”.

“The NEC will be meeting tomorrow [Monday] to discuss this very matter and because our people want this matter to be finalised, the NEC will be doing precisely that.

Ramaphosa postponed an ANC NEC meeting last Wednesday that would have decided Zuma’s fate after the president told the top six that he would not resign. Instead, Ramaphosa continued talks with Zuma, who apparently had a set of conditions for his resignation.

On Thursday, Ramaphosa reportedly told the ANC caucus that immunity for Zuma was not on the table.

Last week, Parliament’s presiding officers, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise announced the unprecedented decision to postpone the State of the Nation Address, which was scheduled for last Thursday. There had been mounting pressure on Zuma not to deliver the annual address to both houses of Parliament.

The NEC is, according to the ANC’s constitution, mandated to remove its public office bearers. 

On Sunday morning, News24 reported that cautious NEC members want the party’s highest decision-making body, between conferences, to also give the Parliamentary caucus a mandate to support a motion of no confidence against Zuma, in case he defies the NEC decision to recall him.

Follow our live update here

More to follow. 

News24.com | BREAKING: ANC NEC resolves to recall Zuma

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Parliament statement on EFF request for rescheduling of motion of no confidence

Parliament, Monday 12 February 2018 – Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, on behalf of Speaker Ms Baleka Mbete, has responded to the request from the Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mr Julius Malema to reschedule the EFF’s motion of no confidence in the President to 13 February.

In the letter to Mr Malema and the attorneys of the EFF, Ms Mbete said she was currently consulting on the request to reschedule the motion and would revert after this.

The Rules of the National Assembly entailed consultation with relevant structures, including the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and the Leader of Government Business.

Ms Mbete originally scheduled the motion for 22 February.

This was after consulting with the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and the Leader of Government Business and obtaining confirmation for the 22 February scheduling from the National Assembly Programme Committee.

In her letter today, Ms Mbete said she was currently consulting on the request and would revert to Mr Malema.Reports that the Speaker had rejected the EFF’s request to schedule the Motion of No Confidence on 13 February are, therefore, false.

eNCA | ANC NEC meeting ends, no word on outcome

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JOHANNESBURG – ANC NEC meeting comes to an end in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 13 hours after it began. 

The is still no word on what was decided in the meeting.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa had left St George Hotel in Irene, Pretoria at about 10.30pm, to meet with President Jacob

Zuma.

The other members of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) remained at the venue after he left.

Ramaphosa arrived back at the hotel at just before midnight on Monday.

The NEC meeting began at 2pm and there has been no update on its discussion of Zuma’s future as president.

Earlier on Monday, all the opposition parties in Parliament called for the vote of no-confidence in Zuma to be moved forward to Tuesday and for Parliament to be dissolved.

EFF leader Julius Malema threatened to go to court if National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete doesn’t respond by 10am on Tuesday to the call to bring the motion of no confidence forward.

The motion is scheduled to be tabled on 22 February.

The postponement of the State of the Nation Address last week sent the country into a tail-spin, which was followed by talks of an exit plan for Zuma.

An NEC meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday last week was called off by Ramaphosa, who said his talks with Zuma had been constructive and laid the basis for a speedy resolution to the leadership question.

On Saturday, the ANC’s top six officials met without Zuma, but there was no media briefing afterwards.

eNCA

eNCA | UPDATE: Ramaphosa arrives back at NEC meeting

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JOHANNESBURG – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived back at St George Hotel in Irene, Pretoria just before midnight on Monday.

The other members of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) remained at the venue after he left at about 10.30pm, following a marathon meeting of the executive.

The NEC meeting began at 2pm and there has been no update on its discussion of Zuma’s future as president.

Earlier on Monday, all the opposition parties in Parliament called for the vote of no-confidence in Zuma to be moved forward to Tuesday and for Parliament to be dissolved.

EFF leader Julius Malema threatened to go to court if National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete doesn’t respond by 10am on Tuesday to the call to bring the motion of no confidence forward.

The motion is scheduled to be tabled on 22 February.

The postponement of the State of the Nation Address last week sent the country into a tail-spin, which was followed by talks of an exit plan for Zuma.

An NEC meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday last week was called off by Ramaphosa, who said his talks with Zuma had been constructive and laid the basis for a speedy resolution to the leadership question.

On Saturday, the ANC’s top six officials met without Zuma, but there was no media briefing afterwards.

eNCA

Sport24.co.za | Kohli: SA’s character got them the win

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Cape Town – India captain Virat Kohli said South Africa deserved to win the fourth ODI at the Wanderers on Saturday as the home team kept themselves alive in the six-match ODI series.

The Proteas chased down a revised target of 202 in just 28 overs as the hosts won their first game in the series, which now sits at 3-1 to the tourists with two more games to play.

India posted 289/7 in their 50 overs after Kohli had won the toss and elected to bat first thanks to a ton in his 100th game by opener Shikhar Dhawan.

READ: Proteas fined for slow over-rate after Wanderers win

Kohli said at the post-match presentation: “You have to give credit to South Africa. I think they played with a lot of character in the end, they pulled through, they deserved to win.

“They are a quality side, we expected them to play quality cricket and they played well tonight.”

The India skipper though alluded to the fact that his team had to get a bigger total in their second innings as they were 197/2 with 15 overs still remaining in the innings when play was interrupted by rain.

When they returned the visitors lost both Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane and had to rebuild with new batsmen at the crease as South Africa kept pegging them back.

“After the break when Shikhar and Jinks (Ajinkya) came off the wicket played a bit differently, it wasn’t as good to bat after the break,” said Kohli.

“After the lightning break the guys felt with the weather getting cooler, the wicket got faster in the evening, and that continued through the innings, so I don’t think the guys quite settled in the later half.”

India need just one more win from the remaining two games, in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and Centurion on Friday, to clinch the series.

News24.com | ‘Zuma is like SA’s Mugabe’ – call for nationwide shutdown if he isn’t recalled by nightfall

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Pretoria – If President Jacob Zuma is not recalled by Sunday evening, a group claiming to comprise ANC and SACP members vowed they would take to the streets and march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to call for a national shutdown until he is ousted.

At a press briefing on Sunday, Hangwi Maumela, who claims to be an ANC branch member in Sandton, called for all South Africans to down tools on Monday until Zuma is removed as president of the country.

“We want everyone, on Monday, to stay away from work until Zuma steps down,” said Maumela.

“Tomorrow in all nine provinces, don’t go to work. Whether police, nurse, doctor, security guard, garden boy, working at border gate, don’t go to work. This crisis we are facing affects us all.”

He said they would not leave the Union Buildings until Zuma was no longer president.

“We are coming to the Union Buildings tomorrow and we are not apologetic about it, we are ready for everything.”

‘Mugabe of South Africa’

“This man is like Mugabe in South Africa. Some of us have suffered for this democracy. I feel Nelson Mandela, wherever he is, he is upset with Zuma, the (national executive committee) NEC and ANC for not exercising authority.”

Maumela said that they have written to the NEC pleading that Zuma be removed immediately, as well as calling on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to not be threatened or ashamed to take authority and lead. 

“Ramaphosa should not be apologetic and be afraid to ask the president to step down”, said Maumela.

He added that ANC members should be supporting one another in defeating those who are protecting and keeping Zuma in office. 

Taking a swipe at ‘corrupt ministers’

“Those people are corrupt ministers. Comrade Cyril, during his campaign, promised us that he will root out corruption. He must start now and exercise those powers.”

Meanwhile, the ANC in the greater Johannesburg region distanced itself from what it referred to as “bogus ANC Johannesburg members”.

“The African National Congress in the Greater Johannesburg Region has noted persons who are, under the guise of being members of the ANC Joburg Region, calling for the immediate removal of President Jacob Zuma or a ‘National Shut Down’,” said regional spokesperson Jolidee Matongo.

“We call on any member(s) who may have any information on these individuals to please contact the region in order for a disciplinary process to be instituted against them immediately.”

The SACP in Gauteng also distanced itself from the planned protest action.”We further distance ourselves from the man who claims to hold a position in the SACP who took part in the press conference. The man does not represent the SACP and any of its structures. In fact the man is not known to any structures of the SACP and therefore doesn’t have a mandate to speak on our behalf,” said SACP provincial secretary Jacob Mamabolo.

The SACP said it would conduct a thorough investigation into the identity of the man who claimed to represent the party.”Whilst we reaffirm the principled and profound decision taken by the Central Committee calling on the ANC President Jacob Zuma to resign or be recalled by the ANC, we believe that this matter is well within the purview of our national leadership and it remain seized with the matter.”

The ANC NEC have been called to a special meeting in Pretoria on Monday afternoon, where it is believed that the agenda will be about Zuma’s exit as president. 

ANC Gauteng spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the provincial ANC reiterated its stance that the ANC NEC was able to resolve “the current leadership issue decisively in a manner that demonstrates that the ANC has put the interest of South Africa first”.

He said the provincial structures condemned and distanced itself from the actions of the so-called ‘Zuma Must Go Group’.

“The ANC calls on its members, supporters and society at large not to heed this irresponsible and reckless call by these individuals who have no mandate to speak on behalf of the ANC or any of its members and structures,” Modiba said.

“We have further noted that certain individuals alleged to be ANC members, clad in ANC regalia, took part in an unmandated press briefing by the individuals in question earlier today. The Province has given a directive to its regions to embark on the process of verifying their membership status and to institute disciplinary actions for any transgression and violation of the ANC code of conduct.”