South Africa: Protesters urge Zuma, top ANC leaders to resign

Members of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) chanted slogans outside its headquarters earlier this week demanding that President Jacob Zuma step down in a rare public show of anger in the party after its worst election performance since the end of the brutal and racist apartheid system in 1994.

The demonstrators argued that Zuma, whose rule has been tainted by scandal, is responsible for the ANC losing control of 3 major urban centers in local elections last month by mismanagement of the economy that is now teetering on the edge of recession.

The demonstration kept political tension high in Africa’s most industrialized country, where markets have been rocked by a police investigation into Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Political analysts say Gordhan is the target of an ANC faction allied to Zuma.

Some of the protesters carried placards, with one emblazoned: “Resign with immediate effect: ANC NEC and Jacob Zuma”, referring to the party’s National Executive Committee of Zuma and 5 other party leaders.
Critics of Zuma say he is also badly compromised by his relationship with the Guptas, a family of wealthy businessmen with interests ranging from media and mining, who the opposition says exerts undue political influence over the president.

The protesters gave a list of their grievances to party Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe.

Although the ANC won the most votes overall in the August 3 local polls, its reputation was badly bruised by its loss of support mainly in major cities.
Analysts said more internal squabbles were likely following the election losses, but would only bring change if they were led by senior party figures.

“An effective way would be to have big heavyweights in the ANC who say that we want the leadership to step down and we are organizing a march,” said Prince Mashele, head of the Centre for Politics and Research, a Pretoria-based think-tank.

Source: Reuters