ANC holds ‘positive’ video meeting with Zuma after last-minute about-turn

The ANC’s upper leadership echelons on Monday held “positive” and “constructive” discussions with former president Jacob Zuma.

This after Zuma did an about-turn at the eleventh hour on his meeting with the ANC’s top six.

Until midday on Monday, ANC top six officials, including party president Cyril Ramaphosa, had been told that Zuma would be arriving at the party’s head office, Luthuli House, for a meeting with them.

However, they were informed at the last minute that the former statesman would no longer be coming to the party’s offices in the Johannesburg CBD and the meeting would now be held virtually.

In a terse statement, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said: “African National Congress national officials have met with former president Jacob Zuma ... The national officials had very positive and constructive discussions with former president Zuma.”

Zuma’s volte-face is said to have embarrassed the top six officials who put together detailed security measures in anticipation of his arrival.

Streets leading to and around the ANC headquarters in the Johannesburg city centre were cordoned off by police, while sniffer dogs were dispatched only for them to be recalled after being told that Zuma was actually still in his home in Nkandla.

The insider, a member of the ANC’s national executive committee, said Zuma had raised concerns about criticism directed at him by party leaders.

A senior ANC official told Sunday Times Daily they were not informed that Zuma had changed his mind about the physical meeting.

The official confirmed that the meeting was now “taking place virtually” and that the party’s secretary-general Ace Magashule “will report about it at an appropriate time”.

The meeting was expected to discuss various issues including Zuma’s defiance of a Constitutional Court ruling ordering him to appear before the Zondo commission inquiry into state capture.

Ramaphosa and the other top six members are trying to persuade Zuma to change his mind over his defiance of the Zondo commission.

A source close to Zuma told the Sunday Times that the former president was not keen to attend a meeting with the top six. But this has been denied by Magashule.

The insider, a member of the ANC’s national executive committee, said Zuma had raised concerns about criticism directed at him by party leaders.

“The top six messed up,” the insider said. “You can’t say these things and say that they won’t reach him. There were people who were saying that he wants special treatment and that he is conducting himself in a certain way. He did not take kindly to that.”