POLITICS - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC allies in KZN have dismissed claims of a plot within the party to force him out before the end of his presidential term, while Government of National Unity (GNU) partners have described such a plot, if it existed, as a ‘great mistake’.
The Witness reports that, according to some reports, Ramaphosa could be forced out soon after the G20 Summit, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg in the coming days.
However, Ramaphosa’s KZN allies — some of who played an instrumental role in having him elected ANC president in 2017 and 2022 — have rejected the rumours about a plot to remove him.
“In the ANC, factions have always been about grabbing power. But in this instance, what power is there to grab if you push CR (Ramaphosa) out? Even those who don’t fully comprehend the predicament the ANC is in right now understand that if you push him out, you will inherit a worthless ANC.
“The truth is that every ANC member, every ANC supporter and every ANC leader is by now fully aware of the damage factionalism and divisions have inflicted on the ANC.
“What every ANC member wants now is something that will unite the organisation, not further tear it apart. Surely, if there were such a plot, South Africans would already know who was behind it. There is absolutely nothing like that,” a Ramaphosa ally serving in the ANC KZN provincial task team said.
The rumours about a plot to oust Ramaphosa gained traction over the weekend when, in his report to the ANC national executive committee (NEC), the president allegedly told senior party leaders to confront him directly rather than discuss his exit in ‘dark corners’.
During that NEC meeting, Ramaphosa reportedly said he would comply should the ANC request his resignation.
However, another Ramaphosa ally said the president’s message had been misinterpreted.
The ANC KZN senior member said: “What he was saying is that should there be factions within the party on leadership issues, he would rather resign than become the captain of a sinking ship. After all the damage caused by divisions, he was simply reminding party members that another round of divisions would, for the ANC, be the final nail in the coffin.
“If there were ever such a plot, the plotters would by now have dispatched their foot soldiers to all the provinces, including here in KZN. Even if you go to any of the other eight provinces, there isn’t a single person talking about his removal.”
The views of Ramaphosa’s KZN allies were echoed by PA leader Gayton McKenzie, who warned that removing the president would be a ‘great mistake’.
“In the third quarter, we created close to 300 000 jobs. The GNU is really taking the country forward. Don’t believe me; listen to the foremost experts on these issues. We did this under president Cyril Ramaphosa. It would be a great mistake for them to want to remove Ramaphosa and come with a new king,” he said.
ANC acting national spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli rejected suggestions that Ramaphosa’s statement resembled that of a president in the ‘departure lounge’.
“On the question of the departure lounge, I am not sure which departure lounge that is. As far as we are concerned, there is no departure lounge. This NEC, with its president, was elected in 2022. Our term ends in December 2027, and our term will end with President Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the ANC,” she said.
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