DURBAN - PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma will retreat to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal after surviving his eighth motion of no confidence in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Zuma enjoys huge support in KZN, and on Sunday, he will address the Cadres Forum in Uphongolo, on the far north of the province.
He narrowly escaped a motion of no confidence in the National Assembly on Tuesday. From the 384 MPs who were present for the vote, only 198 MPs voted for Zuma to stay, while 177 MPs - including from his own party - voted he should go, while there were 9 abstentions.
The Cadres Forum event is organised by the sympathetic ANC Youth League in KZN, who are staunch supporters of the president and who have already endorsed Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to be the next party president in December.
ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
Zuma himself has also endorsed the idea of a woman president succeeding him. He was seen this week singing at a Women's Day event in Kimberley, with throngs of ANCYL and ANCWL supporters: "On your marks. Get set. We are ready for Nkosazana".
That is the latest tune from the NDZ17 camp.
Thousands are expected to fill up the Kwalubisi-Sithambi Sports Ground, the youth league said.
While Zuma may have survived the motion of no confidence which was tabled by the DA, the ruling party is still divided on whether its MPs who voted with the opposition should be brought to book.
Youth league chairperson in KZN, Kwazi Mshengu and ANC Abaqulusi Region Chairperson, Sipho Nkosi are also expected to talk to address the crowd.
Spokesperson of the ANCYL KZN, Mandla Shange said: “Zuma does not only have majority support in KZN but nationally. But some people want to create an impression that Zuma is losing support which is far-fetched. The ANC under Zuma was voted by 11 million people in 2014.”
Shange said all the MPs who publicly stated that they were going to vote against Zuma must be hauled over the coals and be axed from Parliament. Former minister of finance, now an ordinary MP, Pravin Gordhan, who publicly called on Zuma to “step aside” had previously said he will vote with his conscience.
ANC MP Makhosi Khoza said she was not going to vote for an “amoral” leader, while former Ekurhuleni mayor and now an ordinary ANC MP, Mondli Gungubele, openly said he will not vote for Zuma.
Former Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom is also suspected to have voted with the opposition.