Emboldened by his supporters’ show of force at his 75th birthday bash in Soweto, President Jacob Zuma last night used the event to declare that he will only step down when his term ends in 2019.
He lashed out at the opposition for marching against him, saying they had also gunned for Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki during their terms in office.
Speaking at the celebrations, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte commended Zuma for having told them to “face our enemy with dignity and not share a platform with them”.
Conspicuous in their absence were the rest of the ANC top six. Treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and chairwoman Baleka Mbete did not attend the bash.
Deputy Secretary General, Jessie #Duarte is the only ANC top-six official in attendance at Pres Zuma's birthday celebrations. #ZumaBirthday pic.twitter.com/UqccyW5xHu
— Xoli Mngambi (@XoliMngambi) April 12, 2017
Mantashe, Mkhize and Ramaphosa have publicly spoken out against Zuma following the cabinet bloodbath that saw the removal of Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas from the Treasury.
However, Zuma conceded that if he were to be recalled tomorrow, he would step down “with a clean heart”.
“In December, a new president will be elected; I don’t know who it will be. The ANC will choose. In 2019, I will step down as president of the country,” said Zuma.
He remained unfazed as thousands of people descended on the Union Buildings to intensify calls for his resignation.
Those singing Zuma's praises sound like Zanu-PF loyalists suffering Stockholm Syndrome spending too much time with the captor #zumabirthday
— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) April 12, 2017
Meanwhile, ANC senior MP Mathole Motshekga and veterans Mavuso Msimang and Ben Turok yesterday joined the calls for the governing party to convene an urgent special meeting of its national executive committee to discuss calls for Zuma to step down.
Msimang told The Star that the march to the Union Buildings by civil society and opposition parties yesterday must deliver a strong message to the ANC.
“The march in Pretoria should give a clear signal to the ANC that if we don’t wake up, we are gone,” he said.
The reality of the ANC losing the 2019 elections was imminent if the party did not act, he said.
Happy seventy zero and 5st birthday #ZumaBirthday pic.twitter.com/nOUcbBk0vR
— Munei Tshamano (@sensei_munei) April 12, 2017
“What is being done by the citizens, the opposition and civic groups, they are saying this behaviour by Zuma is hurting us,” added Msimang.
Turok said he supported the call for a special national executive committee gathering, the highest decision-making body able to remove Zuma, as it did with Mbeki in 2008.
However, the party’s 26-member national working committee, which includes provincial secretaries and chairpersons, has thrown its weight behind Zuma.
“We are in a moving situation. The situation is changing every day. The strength of the public feeling is growing very fast, and Zuma would be foolish to ignore that,” said Turok.
Motshekga said the challenge remained with the national executive committee as the highest decision-making body between conferences to decide on critical matters.
He said the ANC was accountable to the 11 million people who voted it into office, and it must act with speed to address the leadership challenge.
But Zuma’s backers celebrated his birthday in song, reiterating their support for the president.
Zuma was joined on the platform by his wife, Thobeka Madiba, Water Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, and ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini, his strongest and most vocal supporters.
The two ministers survived the cabinet reshuffle despite facing widespread public condemnation.
Dlamini said “rogues” in the movement were leaving because “we are led by a very strong leader”. She called on all South Africans to come out and protect the ANC.
“We have always said that you will rule until your term ends. Comrades, we will defend the president. If you defend him, you’re defending the ANC.”
Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association chairman Kebby Maphatsoe called on Zuma to “relax”, saying “people are marching because, president, you have touched a raw nerve. You said land must be returned to its rightful owners,” he said.
Earlier at the Union Buildings, opposition party leaders pulled no punches when they launched scathing attacks on Zuma, calling for him to step down.
EFF leader Julius Malema told the crowd that parties had joined hands to defend the country, which was under threat, and added that united parties would not be defeated by Zuma.
He told marchers that the junk status accorded to South Africa would hit the pockets of the poor the hardest and threaten social grants, RDP houses and school nutrition schemes.
He thanked former presidents Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe for speaking out about the motion of no confidence to be tabled in the National Assembly against Zuma.
“We are listening to our leaders, and we will do as we are instructed. You are a mess if you don’t listen to your elders,” said Malema.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa echoed Malema’s sentiments, saying South Africans were concerned about Zuma’s leadership because they were witnessing their government going down. DA Gauteng leader John Moodey said Zuma was not worthy of the presidency.
The organisers of the march said this was not a once-off event, but part of rolling mass action that would be staged in different provinces.