The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Despite the attacks on him, Zuma — a hardened political survivor — still enjoys some backing within the party, particularly among rural members and within his own Zulu community.
His presidency has been marked by an economic slowdown, record unemployment and multiple allegations of corruption.
He faces several court cases, including action relating to 783 payments he received allegedly linked to an arms deal before he came to power in 2009.
Many graft allegations against him have centred on the wealthy Gupta family, who are accused of unfairly obtaining lucrative government contracts and even being able to choose ministerial appointments.
– ‘Veil of secrecy’ –
Save South Africa, an anti-Zuma campaign group, said it was “deeply concerned at the veil of secrecy surrounding negotiations” over the president’s exit.
“Shuffling Zuma out of the back-door, with any number of trade-offs and compromises, is not only bad for Mr Ramaphosa — it is bad for South Africa,” it said.
Ramaphosa’s backers are keen for him to take over as president immediately and try to revive the economy before the election, when the ANC could lose its dominance for the first time since the end of apartheid.
The London-based EXX Africa consultancy said Ramaphosa would likely replace Zuma within days and would then launch a corruption crackdown to shore up his political authority.
