SACP: If Zuma chooses Dlamini-Zuma, our choice is Ramaphosa

Battle lines have been drawn in the ANC succession debate as the South African Communist Party (SACP) has now openly backed Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over from President Jacob Zuma as ANC president.

Following the president’s backing of his ex-wife and former AU chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, which the SACP sees as the president’s attempt to turn the ANC into a “Zuma dynasty”, the communist party has now decided to back Ramaphosa to take over.

“If President Jacob Zuma’s choice is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, our choice is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa,” the SACP was quoted as saying by The Sowetan.

SACP North West provincial secretary Madoda Sambatha reportedly slated the president for publicly backing Dlamini-Zuma during the Moses Kotane memorial lecture in Rustenburg on Sunday.

He reportedly said though it was the ANC NEC’s decision for people not to speak about names when discussing the succession debate, the president became the first to defy the rule and back his ex-wife in public.

SACP second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila has also criticised the president for “disregarding the decisions and policies of the ANC”. Mapaila was further reported as saying the ruling party would never regain people’s support as long as Zuma was still president.

To expect that the ruling party could convince people that they would stop corruption and corporate capture while Zuma was still president was “unreasonable” , he said, further calling for the president to save the party by resigning.

The deputy president has received blessings from the Shembe church after receiving an invitation by the church. While there, he was told to be straightforward about what his intentions were.

Dlamini-Zuma, on the other hand, has received support from the ANCYL, the president, and the ANC Women’s League, which said it was time South Africa got a woman president.

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