Zuma
*Applause Zuma As Dedicated, Disciplined Party Member
By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja
Finally, after weeks of resistance to vacate office over misconduct and corrupt practices, the South African President, Jacob Zuma, has resigned with immediate effect, Wednesday evening.
He had been in power since 2009 and was just about to end his tenure next year, 2019. But his party, African National Congress (ANC) pushed to recall him, which he had resisted for weeks, claiming that he had done nothing wrong.
This is even as the ANC has tipped Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as Zuma’s successor and urged the party’s parliament members to vote for him as the next President of South Africa.
Ramaphosa
However, in a twist, Zuma in a national broadcast, said he had resigned with immediate effect, declaring that he does not wish that any blood should be spill in his name.
He expressed concerned and disturbed by instances of violence in some parts of the country arising from different views being propagated in the country, stressing that “no life should lost in my name and also ANC must never be divided in my name”.
“I have therefore come to the decision to resign as the President of the Republic with immediate effect”, he said.
He thanked International Community for their cooperation in the work they had done together and renewed his commitment to the cause of his party, ANC and working throughout his life to the realisation of economic and political transformation of South Africa.
Shortly after his resignation, the ANC in a statement applauded him for being a disciplined and dedicated member of the party over 60 years now.
The party commended him for his achievements while in office, adding that the decision to recall Zuma as President of South Africa was taken after exhaustive discussion informed by good fate in order to give certainty to South Africans at the time the country is facing economic challenges which deserved urgent attention.
The statement which was endorsed by the ANC Deputy Secretary General, Jessie Duarte, urged the members of the party in parliament to vote for Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as the next President of the Republic.