Parliament - The ANC caucus in Parliament has gone into a crucial meeting on the National Working Committee’s (NWC) decision on Monday night to back President Jacob Zuma.
This comes a few hours before the vote in the National Assembly on a motion brought by the Democratic Alliance to “impeach” Zuma.
The decision of the NWC has emboldened Zuma as he faces growing opposition to his stay in office.
The NWC decision followed the top six meeting at the weekend where the ruling party decided to support Zuma despite a call from stalwarts and voices outside the ANC to axe the president.
While the ANC caucus meets, opposition parties are also meeting behind closed doors in Parliament on the strategy they would use on Tuesday afternoon on the impeachment vote.
Zuma apologised to the nation on Friday after the Constitutional Court ruled that he breached the Constitution on Nkandla.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe indicated that the ANC would be tearing itself apart if it allowed the dictate of the opposition to fire Zuma.
The meetings of the ANC caucus at Parliament and opposition parties could determine how issues would be played out in the Chamber later.
Out of 400 seats in the National Assembly the ANC commands a majority of 249 seats with the rest belonging to opposition parties.
Speaker Baleka Mbete also told journalists on Sunday that she would not be recusing herself.
She said she alternates with other presiding officers in chairing the sessions of the National Assembly.
Zuma is not expected to be in the Chamber when his impeachment is debated by MPs.
But his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the leader of government business will be present.
The ANC has in the past described motions to remove Zuma as frivolous and political grandstanding by opposition parties.
The ANC’s closing of the ranks with the president is a strategy the party has used in the past, even at the height of the investigations by Parliament into the Nkandla project.
Political Bureau