President Jacob Zuma's supporters left him high and dry on Friday night, not resisting calls for his removal from office.
The Sunday Times understands that Zuma chose not to attend the meeting of the ANC's national executive committee. As a former party president Zuma is an ex officio member of the NEC, the party's highest decision-making body between conferences.
On Friday, Zuma's staunch backers did not defend him when the party's new leaders agreed that he should no longer be in government ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Zuma only arrived yesterday for the NEC lekgotla in Irene, Pretoria, to discuss the party's programme for the year. Decisions taken this weekend will influence government priorities for 2018.
The NEC has authorised the party's top six officials to meet Zuma in the coming weeks and convey its decision to him and finalise the conditions and date for his departure from the Union Buildings.The NEC reached the decision after the recall of Zuma was raised by former Limpopo finance MEC and new NEC member David Masondo. Masondo was supported by other leaders, including Deputy Minister of Agriculture Bheki Cele.
Those who were at the meeting indicated that Zuma supporters made little effort to convince the NEC that he should be allowed to complete his second term in government, and "chose to appear magnanimous" towards the new leadership under ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
This was confirmed by a provincial leader known to be a vocal ally of Zuma who said the supporters only argued that the president's removal from office should be handled in a "politically mature manner" that allowed Zuma to "exit gracefully".
The provincial leader said that it would have been a "lost cause" had the Zuma backers continued their fight for the president to see out his term in office until next year when elections will be held.
The about-turn by Zuma supporters has been interpreted as an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the new ANC leadership."I don't think anyone wanted to be on the wrong side of history. They all want to be considered for the new team in government. That's why some of the loudest mouths were talking about embracing the new leadership collective," another NEC member said.
The ANC insider said the main demand by Zuma's supporters was for discussion between him and the top six on his departure.
"They were saying the leadership has to manage it. There are certain things he may want assurances on, so they want him to have that conversation with Ramaphosa and other officials," the source said.
The Sunday Times also understands that when Ramaphosa alerted Zuma earlier this week that a discussion over his role in government would come up at the NEC meeting, Zuma was not hostile. Those familiar with the discussions said Zuma merely asked for more time to tie up loose ends.
Another source within the ANC said in the unlikely event of Zuma refusing to step down, a removal through parliament would be next.
Other sources, sympathetic to Zuma, said some Zuma backers tried to avert the discussion about his removal but failed. "They were in the minority," said an NEC member...