Mashatile due to address ANC caucus in Parliament

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile is expected to lead discussions at the party's special parliamentary caucus meeting over the recall of President Jacob Zuma.

This is according to those familiar with the agenda of the all-important caucus meeting‚ which has now been moved from 10am to 11am on Wednesday. Sources said Mashatile was due to brief MPs on the ANC national executive committee decision to ask Zuma to resign as state president.

The meeting was moved back to accommodate an expected address by Zuma to the nation. Sources said on Tuesday that Zuma was to respond in public to the recall decision at 10am on Wednesday but the presidency later said no official communication about the address had been given.

The ANC caucus‚ which generally meets on Thursdays during parliamentary sittings‚ has been called specifically to consider the party's options regarding the removal of Zuma in terms of parliamentary processes‚ should he continue to defy the party's recall decision.

The multi-party chief whips forum‚ which influences the official programme of parliament among other things‚ was moved from 8am this morning to 2pm to make way for Zuma's speech.

The forum was expected to discuss the programme of parliament for the coming weeks‚ including a request by the EFF for their motion of no confidence against Zuma to be moved from February 22 to sometime this week on an urgent basis.

This comes as the ANC is considering tabling its own motion of no confidence in Zuma after he initially stated that he would not be resigning when the party's leadership asked him to do so.