Zuma Count Down: the "non-president" president of SA

SOUTH AFRICA - In Brief 22 Jan 2018 by Iraj Abedian

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over the past couple of days, it has become clear that Zuma's days are numbered. On Thursday last week, the newly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC passed a motion to negotiate an exit plan for Zuma. Then the NEC moved quickly to demonstrate that Zuma has no de facto presidential powers, by appointing a totally new Board of Directors for Eskom, with a new Acting CEO- all done without Zuma or his Cabinet Ministers being involved. The Presidency did not even issue a statement of any sort in this regard. It was all done by Mr Ramaphosa as the president of the ANC, and of course as the Deputy President of the country. To make sure there is no misunderstanding, Ramaphosa is going to chair the ministeral committee overseaing Eskom from now on. And, this morning as President Zuma was scheduled to fly off to represent South Africa at the inaugeration of the Liberian President elect, Mr George Weah, it was announced that Zuma is not going, and instead the Minister of Water Affairs will represent South Africa in Liberia. And, to leave no doubt as to who is now running the country, Ramaphosa is jetting off to Davos to represent South Africa, and make sure that the message is delivered from the 'horse's mouth'- South Africa has begun the great clean up, rebranding, and ethical governance revival. The Zuma count down has clearly begun, and Ramaphosa is on the roll building on the momentum that has gethered speed in the country since his election as the ANC president last December. There is a definite air of optimism around, the pressure is on for making sure that Zuma does not deliver the State of Nation Address (SONA) in February at the opening of this year's P...