Plot to oust president will fail, Cyril ‘too strong to fall’

An alleged plot by former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters to oust the country’s leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, as ANC president “is not surprising but will fail”.

Ramaphosa wields more power now than before, following his election at the ANC’s December national elective conference, according to political analysts.

Unisa’s Professor Lesiba Teffo said the alleged plan, as reported by the media, was “ill-advised and bound to fail”. He stressed that Ramaphosa was not weak enough to be pushed out.

Teffo spoke after some ANC members in KwaZulu-Natal were said to be holding “secret talks” to form an alliance and would work to split the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal to remove Ramaphosa.

The Sunday Times reported that Zuma supporters planned to oust Ramaphosa in next year’s election by splitting the votes at provincial level and giving the national votes to another party.

They would purportedly work with Andile Mngxitama’s Black First Land First (BLF) movement ahead of the 2019 election to “ensure” Ramaphosa’s removal.

Mngxitama is linked to the notorious Gupta family and has been campaigning for Zuma before and after his presidential term. He was in court in Durban to support the former president in his corruption trial.

Teffo said: “I anticipated that he [Zuma] might come back to the ANC because he feels betrayed by some in the party and was therefore likely to behave in a manner that will hurt the ANC.

“His supporters will find ways to punish the ANC through the formation of a party; the disenchanted Zuma supporters will take votes to another party to punish the ANC.”

Teffo predicted that aggrieved members might attempt to call a special conference to remove Ramaphosa.

“But Ramaphosa is not weak enough to be removed in the next five years. Don’t forget that people follow power where it is and Ramaphosa has more power than Zuma at this time and the majority will most likely follow Cyril.”

Teffo’s sentiments were echoed by analyst Ralph Mathekga who said it was expected from Zuma.

“Zuma is not done with the ANC,” he said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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