File: President Jacob Zuma attends celebrations for his 75th birthday on April 12, 2017 in Kliptown, Soweto.
JOHANNESBURG - ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on Tuesday announced the recall of President Jacob Zuma due, in part, to the "period of uncertainty and anxiety as a result of the unresolved matter of transition".
Magashule presented a statement from the ANC national executive committee (NEC) on the outcome of the special meeting that took place on Monday and into the early hours of Tuesday.
Magashule The NEC received a report from the Officials on their engagement with President Zuma. These engagements had been informed by the commitment to pursue firstly the interest of the country and the ANC and the determination to handle the matter with utmost dignity.
— African National Congress (@MYANC) February 13, 2018
The NEC decided to recall Zuma after Magashule and ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa returned to the NEC from a late-night visit to Zuma at his nearby home.
IN TWEETS: ZumaIsGoneParty goes viral
Some of the most important statements Nagashule made at the briefing are:
1. The president reportedly agreed in principle to resign and proposed a timeframe of three to six months. The NEC disagreed with the timeframe and proposed decisive action in order to "steer the country towards greater levels of unity, renewal and inclusive economic growth".
Magashule We are determined to restore the integrity of the public institutions, create political stability and urgent economic recovery.
— African National Congress (@MYANC) February 13, 2018
Magashule The NEC received feedback from the delegation that the President of the Republic did not accede to a shorter time frame.
— African National Congress (@MYANC) February 13, 2018
2. No deadline has been set for Zuma to respond to the news of the recall. Magashule said media should expect a statement from the president on Wednesday.
Magashule: we have not given him (Zuma) a deadline to respond to the recall. When we recall our deployees we expect them to accept. But we are treating this with urgency. ZumaExit
— Annika Larsen (@AnnikaLarsen1) February 13, 2018
ZumaRecall: Ace Magashule: "We are expecting the president to respond tomorrow. Tomorrow the president will respond, there&39;s no deadline." Courtesy DStv403 pic.twitter.com/aDueIo1v1Y
— eNCA (@eNCA) February 13, 2018
3. The NEC has pledged support for Ramaphosa to take over as president of the country as he is the president of the ANC. Magashule said: "We want comrade Ramaphosa to come in as the president of the country".
Cartoon for @eNCA Zumexit CyrilRamaphosa ZumaRecall ZumaExit pic.twitter.com/vS6gfdBsXl
— Rico Schacherl (@ricoschacherl) February 13, 2018
4. The NEC is not planning to bring any disciplinary action against the president nor have they decided to recall him due to wrongdoing on his part.
"We must treat Zuma as the president of South Africa. He has not been found guilty by a court of law. We didn&39;t take this decision because he did something wrong," Magashule said.
eNCA&39;s @XoliMngambi asks Magashule if he agrees that President Jacob Zuma, by refusing to resign, is defying the party decision. If so, will you be laying charges? Mngambi also asks if the NEC decision was unanimous.
— Erin Bates (@ermbates) February 13, 2018
[BREAKING NEWS] ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule says “we did not take this decision because President Zuma has done anything wrong”. He’s however confirmed, that the “President [Cyril] Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address”, as and when it happens. ZumaExit
— Xoli Mngambi (@XoliMngambi) February 13, 2018
5. The recall decision was not unanimous but it was announced as a collective. The secretary-general said many different views were aired in the lead-up to this decision but the final choice was made as a group.
ZumaRecall: Ace Magashule: "Was our decision unanimous? No, in meetings there are different views...but at the end we look at the situation...we take a decision as a collection." Courtesy DStv403 pic.twitter.com/iuX4hTVJ9E
— eNCA (@eNCA) February 13, 2018
"Ace Magashule is a deeply conflicted individual," says Political Analyst @KarimaBrown who joins anchor @maggsonmedia now outside Luthuli House. Courtesy DStv403 pic.twitter.com/vGhjPsHSEC
— eNCA (@eNCA) February 13, 2018
