Plans to remove Zuma at NEC a ‘fallacy’

Supporters of President Jacob Zuma in the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) are planning to oppose any move for him to be recalled when they meet this weekend.
They have labelled renewed calls for the NEC to oust him a “fallacy”.

ANC Youth League secretary general Njabulo Nzuza, who is also a supporting NEC member, said an NEC recall of Zuma would be unconstitutional.

“Those people really can’t raise a motion of no confidence in an NEC. Only congress, which elected him [Zuma], can deal with such a thing. Even our constitution makes no provision for such.”
“People are being sold a fallacy of something here,” Nzuza said.

He was supported by another senior member who said that, during an NEC meeting in November 2016, former tourism minister Derek Hanekom’s motion for Zuma to be recalled was defeated, and had “ended the debate”.

“There was an agreement at that meeting that it will never be discussed again, because the branches said we don’t have the powers. We will call to order anyone that calls for him to go,” the NEC member said.

He argued that the ANC’s constitution stated that only the party’s president could be the president of the country.

“Zuma’s recall is different from Mbeki, as he was no longer ANC president when he was recalled,” the member explained.

The party’s NEC is holding a scheduled meeting, starting today.

“Organisational weaknesses can’t be solved by removing a president.  If there are issues, we must resolve them structurally.

“We also can’t play to the gallery. The NEC cannot change congress resolutions, let alone the office of the president,” Nzuza said.

Zuma is already facing a motion of no confidence in Parliament, with claims that some ANC members want to vote in support of the motion tabled by opposition parties. -News24