Zuma fights back - Ramaphosa‚ Mantashe and Mkhize should 'apologise' for opposing cabinet reshuffle

President Jacob Zuma staged a fight back in the party's extended national working committee on Tuesday with his backers demanding that deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa‚ secretary general Gwede Mantashe and treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize issue a public apology for publicly disagreeing with his decision to reshuffle his cabinet.

This comes as pressure is mounting on Zuma to step down both within and outside the African National Congress and its tripartite alliance partners after he removed former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas last Thursday.

Cosatu on Tuesday joined the SACP and party veterans in calling on the ANC to recall the president saying the federation no longer had faith in Zuma to continue leading the alliance.

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Those calling for Zuma's head have been emboldened by Ramaphosa‚ Mantashe and Mkhize's decision to openly differ with Zuma‚ saying he never consulted them about the changes but merely informed them.

But Zuma's supporters are believed to have pushed for Ramaphosa‚ Mantashe and Mkhize to explain their “ill-discipline”.

• DA launches High Court bid to set aside Zuma's decision to fire GordhanThe Democratic Alliance has lodged an urgent application to set aside and declare unlawful the axing of former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.

Notes of the meeting that were leaked to the media in error on Tuesday evening mentioned that a discussion about a change of leadership made it to the agenda. But the ANC was quick to distance the party from the notes saying the content was not the official position of the party.

“The African National Congress has noted erroneous communication send (sic) to the ANC Media List from ANC Communications‚” party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said in a statement. “This communication was sent out in error‚ is not an official statement of the ANC neither does it represent the views of the ANC. It should thus not be used for the purposes of reporting‚” he said.

An official press conference is scheduled at Luthuli House on Wednesday morning. There was a suggestion that all top six officials form part of the meeting as a show of unity.

It is believed the SACP and Cosatu also came under attack during the meeting.

The party also discussed a strategy of how to counter the motion of no confidence in Zuma which has been tabled in parliament. It is understood that the meeting greed that all top leaders of the party address the divided ANC caucus in a bid to stop any ANC MPs from voting with the opposition in a motion of no confidence to remove Zuma.

The meeting came amid calls from the SACP‚ Cosatu and ANC veterans for Zuma to step down or be recalled from office. The calls were made after Zuma controversially reshuffled his cabinet‚ removing Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas‚ after midnight last Thursday.

The extended NWC meeting included ANC provincial chairs and secretaries of the all nine provinces.

The meeting discussed how the problems in the party could not be swept under the carpet.

The meeting acknowledged that Zuma's reshuffle triggered the resurgence of the #ZumaMustFall movement‚ with many mobilizing within government and the ANC to remove the president.

Both the DA and the EFF have conceded that they were courting ANC MPs to support their motion of no confidence.

But there has been a general sense in the party leadership that voting with the opposition would be fatal for the party.