DD Mabuza’s ‘sacrifice’ offer to have NDZ as Ramaphosa’s deputy

African National Congress (ANC) deputy president David Mabuza has reportedly proposed a compromise that would see former presidential candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma being appointed as the country’s deputy president until next year’s general elections.

The City Press reports that according to ANC insiders, under the compromise Mabuza would remain the premier of Mpumalanga until then and he would apparently use his national political profile to promote unity within the party.

Mabuza reportedly made the proposal to President Jacob Zuma and ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa at a meeting in KwaZulu-Natal last weekend after the party’s newly elected top six leaders paid a courtesy visit to Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.

The ANC sources claimed that Ramaphosa was reluctant to have Dlamini-Zuma as his right-hand woman because he preferred Human Settlements Minister and ANC national executive committee member, Lindiwe Sisulu, to take over the post.

Mabuza’s proposal has, however, been questioned by some party leaders.

“There are suggestions that he is only looking to save his own skin and win favour with the KwaZulu-Natal ANC. Talk in the party is that Zuma’s associates have threatened to release a damning dossier implicating him in wrongful activities, as revenge for betraying Zuma by throwing Mpumalanga’s support behind Ramaphosa at the elective conference,” the report stated.

On Friday, Mail & Guardian reported that Zuma’s supporters were demanding that Dlamini-Zuma be appointed as interim president as one of the conditions for him to step down. They also reportedly wanted Energy Minister David Mahlobo and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo to remain in their positions.

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