South Africa: ANC leaders stop short of asking for Zuma’s resignation

African National Congress (ANC) leaders in South Africa’s Gauteng province, on Tuesday said the scandal over President Jacob Zuma’s failure to repay taxpayers’ money spent on his Nkandla home had damaged the party’s image, but stopped short of urging him to resign.

In a statement issued after a special meeting on Monday‚ the ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) said: “President comrade Jacob Zuma should reflect deeply and do the right thing to resolve the unprecedented crisis that the ANC currently faces.”

Calls by ANC veterans, church and civil society organizations and business leaders for Zuma – who turned 74 on Tuesday – to step down, intensified after the Constitutional Court ruled on March 31 that the president “failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution” by not repaying taxpayer money on upgrades at his personal residence in Nkandla.

The ANC in Gauteng said it had noted and accepted Zuma’s apology but believed this was just the beginning of dealing with the political damage and mistrust caused by the mismanagement of the Nkandla matter.

“The PEC believes that the ANC has already paid a price during the 2014 elections‚ due to among others‚ the anger of the electorate about the matter. As the ANC we have to do a deeper introspection and take far-reaching decisions that will repair the damage to our image and to continue to enjoy the confidence and trust of our people‚” the PEC said.

According to the statement, “The PEC reiterated that the ANC has earned its leadership of society through the struggles and sacrifices of its members and supporters over generations. It is in that context that our comrade, Jacob Zuma, should reflect deeply and do the right thing to resolve the unprecedented crisis that the ANC currently faces.

“The ANC has never taken the support of our people for granted and was founded to defend and advance the rights of our people.”

The PEC added that the ANC was recognized as “a central mobilizer‚ organised and inspirer of a vast popular mass of progressive organizations, and their views are important to us”.

While Zuma apologized for the frustration and confusion the scandal had caused, he said he never intentionally did anything illegal.

Zuma, who has led the ANC since December 2007, retains plenty of support in the country and the ANC, which has more than 4,200 branches nationally. His allies dominate the party’s national executive committee, and parliament.

The ANC Gauteng chapter did not back Zuma’s re-election as ANC leader in 2012.