President Jacob Zuma's desperate plea for a compromise deal in the ANC leadership race has been rejected even by his own supporters.
Several provincial leaders who spoke to the Sunday Times said Zuma's peace deal would never be accepted by party branches.
Zuma proposed in his closing address at the ANC's policy conference on Thursday that the person who loses the ANC presidential contest should automatically be elected deputy president. Zuma said he would travel to all nine provinces to sell the peace deal.But the suggestion is seen as no more than an attempt by Zuma to guarantee his preferred candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a place in the top leadership even if she loses to her chief rival for the party presidency, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mpumalanga's ANC provincial secretary, Mandla Ndlovu, said his province would not review its decision to nominate premier David Mabuza for deputy president. The province was largely regarded as a Zuma stronghold before the policy conference.
"Our position is that we want Mabuza to be deputy president. The provincial executive committee will not review that decision," he said.
The ANC in the Western Cape said Zuma's proposal was not viable. "It is not going to happen ... people are wary of this option," said provincial secretary Faiz Jacobs.
Senior ANC leaders, who asked not to be named, said Zuma's proposal only came after glaring indications that his supporters were on the back foot. "You only propose to settle when you are going to lose," one said...