President Zuma Hangs to Power- But Only Just!

SOUTH AFRICA - In Brief 29 Nov 2016 by Iraj Abedian

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The ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) decision, after a 3-day meeting held over the past three days, announced earlier today is a short term victory for Zuma! In an unexpected turn of event on Saturday three of his Cabinet Ministers tabled a “vote of no confidence” in him requesting him to step down! He and his supporters in the NEC were taken by a total shock and literally off-guard. Then a ferocious debate, attacks and counter-attacks within the NEC ensued. At the end, late last night the Zuma supporters managed to prevail at the NEC and adopt a resolution to retain Zuma as the president of the ANC and the country for now! In this sense, and in the face an unprecedented motion of no-confidence in his leadership, the outcome is seen as a “victory” for Zuma and his supporters. In the sense that he is not recalled, and removed as the country’s President, it is a victory! In my previous notes I had mentioned that President Zuma will stay in power until December 2017. He has now pretty much formalised that! However, this victory is a simplistic interpretation of the turn of events. What transpired over the past three days has weakened him and his political base considerably because: 1. As part of a complex defence of his position, he acknowledged that if he steps down as the president, he will be sued until he is imprisoned. He knows that his “enemies” will stop at nothing short of putting him behind bars! As such, he argued, he will never surrender! This is the first time in over a decade that he has acknowledged his fear of imprisonment and the fact that he has no legal legs to stand on! 2. His pretence that his party, and the NEC, is fully behind him as a leader...