Zuma’s stance on the ANC succession battle too little, too late

It is of more than passing interest that President Jacob Zuma should have entered the maelstrom of the succession debate by the back door after tacitly endorsing his former wife.

Speaking at KwaDukuza on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast at the weekend, Zuma discouraged individual factions from joining the raging debate over who should take over the leadership of the ANC when his tenure runs out in 2019.

It is, many would reason, too late for the president to take this stance with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa already in the race by popular demand from some sectors of the party, and head of the African Union Commission Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma, who has the rousing acclamation of the ANC Women’s League.

But Zuma’s call has the backing of ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe averring publicly that being the president’s deputy did not automatically bestow the mantle of president-in-waiting.

That is arguably so, though as strong traditionalists, the ANC as a whole will more than likely follow the precedents of the past and, should this prove the case, Ramaphosa has the inside track, despite the objections of his detractors.

The old Chinese curse springs to mind: may you live in interesting times.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.