Zuma’s fate in hands of ANC top six, as clock ticks on state of the nation address

South Africans will soon know whether or not President Jacob Zuma will deliver this year’s state of the nation address scheduled for Thursday.

A beleaguered Zuma is this evening expected to meet with the top six officials of the ANC at his presidential home of Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Pretoria,  where his future as the president of the country is expected to be discussed.

The top six leaders of the ANC are meeting  Zuma on the mandate of the party’s highest decision-making structures in between conferences, the national executive committee and the national working committee, after they resolved in the last two weeks that Zuma  should step down as head of state and  government following his ousting as party president.

The ANC officials are expected to be led by  party  deputy president David Mabuza as party president Cyril Ramaphosa has recused himself from the meeting after being advised to do so by other top members of the party.

Sources said this was to help avoid accusations of conflict of  interest being levelled against Ramaphosa because he was expected to take over from Zuma as soon as Zuma   stepped down.

Those privy to the discussion said they expected the meeting to be a difficult one as Zuma has made it clear to his inner circle that he would not be resigning any time soon and he was even prepared to risk being ousted through a parliamentary impeachment process or a motion of no confidence, which would see him forfeiting retirement benefits such as, among others,  a salary for life. 

• Read the full story on the Sunday Times website