Heavy Protests in SA as Pressure Raise for Zuma to Resign

In South African some supporters and detractors of President Jacob Zuma took a stand on Monday protesting outside the ruling party HQ in Johannesburg as the embattled leader was reportedly refusing to step down.

Jacob Zuma has been under increasing pressure to resign before his term finishes in 2019 but reportedly dug in his heels during talks with African National Congress top brass on Sunday night. 

Africa National Congress leaders are holding another emergency meeting Monday, local media said. 

South Africa’s opposition parties and factions in the Africa National Congress  said President Jacob Zuma should not be permitted to give the annual state of the nation speech to be held on Thursday, saying he is a lame duck president since the election of reformer Cyril Ramaphosa as African National Congress leader. 

President Jacob Zuma’s almost two terms in office have been blighted by tens if not hundreds of corruption allegations, but he has one way or another managed to dodge prosecution. 

Radical political party Black First Land First have organized an immediate protest in support of the Jacob Zuma’s under the banner “#HandsOff Zuma.” But another group of African National Congress supporters had gathered with signs written: “Zuma must fall.” 

Former African National Congress youth leader turned founder of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, tweeted late Sunday after Zuma’s meeting with the African National Congress top brass that the president was refusing to go. 

“Zuma refused to leave office and he told them to take a decision to remove him if they so wish to do so because he didn’t do anything wrong to the country,” Malema said. 

SA’s parliament is scheduled to vote in a no-confidence motion against Jacob Zuma on Feb. 22. 

Several such motions have failed in the past.