A.N.C. Tells Jacob Zuma to Step Down as South Africa President

I'm a South African ex-pat with ties to the skeleton of my Beloved Country, now Africa's largest kleptocracy. Given the ANC's lack of respect for fundamental democratic norms, this, or a similar constitutional crisis, was always inevitable. This has been compounded by the complacency of those who should have known better - the white population which, behind physical and financial walls continues to separate (that word again!) itself from the endemic corruption, venality and incompetence of their government. Thus, the true challenges for South Africa's future are less about just ridding itself of their latest anti-democratic standard bearer than it is to embrace true democratic principles and the rule of law. Fundamental to this quest is for those living in their gilded cages to step into the fray and demand what they know to be right. The dire consequences of failure are self-evident and inevitable.

ANC President Ramaphosa is an excellent negotiator, and he has a great bargaining position. Like any professional negotiator, he is aware that his counterpart’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement (losing a vote of no confidence within 8 days at most) is deeply unattractive, so his counterpart’s negotiating position is relatively weak. He is also acutely aware that passage of time strengthens one position (his) and weakens the other position (his counterpart’s). Ramaphosa has at least two objectives: swift removal of the sitting President, and minimizing further factionalism. He seems to be trading off the first objective a little in the interests of accomplishing the second objective, strengthening his party in advance of national elections in 2019. Sensible, under the circumstances, and a display of confidence in the strength of his position. Not clear whether resolution takes a few more days, but the outcome seems inevitable. History will cite this as a master class in negotiation by a true master of the art.

Sounds like Zuma is the African Donald Trump. Corrupt and immoral to the core and destructive to his entire nation. But no one has the guts to remove him.

Zuma is leading the way for Trump, the same Russian playbook at work. Let’s hope South Africa can avoid the nuclear deal and send the Tschekists where they belong.

......and Cape Town is running out of water!

“President Zuma has not been found guilty by any court of law,” Mr. Magashule said. “And when we took these decisions, we did not take these decisions because Comrade Jacob Zuma has done anything wrong.” That's misleading at extreme best. This is the same Zuma who ignored an international court warrant and let Sudan's butcher al-Bashir walk free, which alone is a strongman's finger-flip to the very concept of justice. He probably doesn't even know what "resign", "humility", or "vote of no confidence" means—and the ANC only dignify him with their weak you're-outta-here-but-we'll-let-you-decide-when "order" to go. A heartfelt "bye Felicia" to him in advance.

Great job reporting on the genocide in SA and the state sanctioned murder of SA White Farmers NYT. Not. Of course this POS needs to be removed from power, he should also be tried for war crimes. This is what happens when the inmates run the asylum. Wake up.

What about Truth and Reconciliation? Get Zuma to tell the truth about his deeds, reconcile and allow him to continue as President. Ramphosa is making good money as are his chosen few. The vast majority of black South Africans are still in Apartheid conditions with many of them likely to die from dehydration as well. Truth and Reconciliation does help.

South Africans have had enough of Jacob G. Zuma, but we need to accept that he’s backed himself into a corner and it’s going to take him a while to concede. We berate Mr Ramaphosa daily on social media and talk radio, for being weak, slow, lame, ineffective, etc. but some of us have noticed the sudden progress on long-dormant criminal investigations that coincided with CR’s ascent to the ANC presidency. He’s been condemned for his apparent inaction during his term as ANC and South African deputy president, but it seems that he was subtly securing the support he needed to oust Zuma and his deployees. Our government is riddled with parasitic individuals who pay rent to Zuma for control of SA’s cash-spigots. Most of our state institutions and SOEs are at the point of collapse, bled dry by a decade of unchecked looting. The tide has turned and it may take a day, or a month, but Zuma will fall. And thanks to the widespread corruption and mid-boggling incompetence of the SANDF, we have no fear of a military junta.

Does the United States really care? Does it affect us in any way? Short of military action, is there any way we can change the outcomes?

To say that Mr. Ramaphosa has a mixed record in both politics and business is rather misleading. He had a stellar record for many decades, including heading the negotiations that led to the country's first democratic elections and being Mandela's first choice to succeed him as president. This glowing record was marred primarily by the terrible tragedy of the Marikana mine massacre, a single tragic incident.

I just returned from South Africa, many people think the future of the country does not look good. The government is corrupt and in effective. It's a beautiful place with an abundance of natural resources. To many millions of people living in Townships who live in squander .

I guess we cannot believe our lying eyes or ears! Based on the following statements from Mr Magashule, it sounds like he is an ostrich with his head in the ground and believes no one can see him. Both the ANC and Zuma deserve to be removed from power. "Mr. Magashule, a longtime ally of Mr. Zuma, dismissed suggestions that the party’s move had also been influenced by corruption charges and inquiries that the president is facing." “President Zuma has not been found guilty by any court of law,’’ Mr. Magashule said. “And when we took these decisions, we did not take these decisions because Comrade Jacob Zuma has done anything wrong.”

It will be interesting to see if, in future, SA allows confiscation without compensation of white landowners' property and if NYT will report it.

Well, as we have seen too many times in the political climate of Africa, don't be surprised to wake up one day and find that Zuma has declared a "state of national emergency" and called out the army. From there it's a short hop to dictatorship. Such a dismal prospect for a rich country that could have offered true stability for surrounding African nations.

Now theres an unusual thing , an African leader whos corrupt! Does"nt happen very often that one does it! Is there a country on that continent that does"nt have a corrupt leader? After Nelson Mandela you would think it would steer the path of straight and narrow would"nt you , but no , of course not!! What was anyone thinking? Even when Nelson Mandela was alive and president he was surrounded by people waiting in the wings to get there hands on the reins of power for there own purposes , Its a historic thing that has been the norm in Africa from the North African Arab states all the way down to South Africa, get power , feather your own nest and don"t let power go , its never changed and its not about to either!!

Unless something changes, South Africa is in danger of following the path of Zimbabwe. A path to a dismal, dysfunctional, and miserable state that risks returning South Africa to the status of international pariah that it had during the apartheid era. Let's hope that the ANC, South Africa's parliament, and the citizens of South Africa can succeed in bringing into effect positive change, beginning with the ouster of Mr. Zuma. Clean up the corruption, shore up the infrastructure, and stop with the obsession over race that pervades the cultural and political landscape. Make South Africa a country that demonstrates that prosperity and liberty and happiness can reign in sub-Saharan Africa.