South Africa’s Jacob Zuma says he is being victimised amid moves to oust him
The remarks from the head of state came on a day when police raided business associates and his party set down a no-confidence motion.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has broken his silence to disagree with the ruling party’s order to resign and say he had done nothing wrong, setting the stage for his almost certain ousting in a parliamentary vote on Thursday after years of corruption scandals.
A defiant Mr Zuma told state broadcaster SABC that he had been treated unfairly by the ruling African National Congress, which had told him to resign by the end of Wednesday after rejecting his request to stay in office for several more months.
“I’m being victimised here,” Mr Zuma said, complaining that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, his expected successor, and other ANC leaders had not given him clear reasons about why he should go.
Mr Zuma said he would make another statement later on Wednesday, raising the possibility that he might change his position and resign voluntarily rather than face the humiliation of his ousting by the combined votes of the ruling and opposition parties. He has survived previous motions against him, but this time he no longer has the support of the ruling party’s leadership.
Several people were arrested during police operations, South African media reported.
The ANC was accelerating efforts to end the country’s political limbo and push through a power transition in one of Africa’s biggest economies. The party wants Mr Zuma to end his second five-year term early so that it can build up support ahead of 2019 elections.
Ruling party leaders outlined a speedy timetable, with Mr Ramaphosa set to be elected in parliament to succeed Mr Zuma in time to deliver the delayed state of the nation address on Friday evening.
“We can no longer keep South Africa waiting,” said Paul Mashatile, the ANC’s treasurer general.
An opposition-sponsored motion of no confidence in Mr Zuma had been scheduled for February 22, but the ruling party joined opposition leaders in pushing for the date to be moved to this week in a rare show of unity among rival political factions.
Mr Ramaphosa, elected as the ANC’s new leader in December, has said the government will do more to fight the corruption that has damaged the ANC, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
As the Gupta-linked investigation proceeds, Mr Zuma also could face corruption charges tied to an arms deal two decades ago. South Africa’s chief prosecutor is expected to make a decision on whether to prosecute Mr Zuma on the old charges, which were reinstated last year after being thrown out in 2009.
In another scandal, South Africa’s top court ruled in 2016 that Mr Zuma violated the constitution following an investigation of multi-million-dollar upgrades to his private home using state funds. The president paid back some of the money.
