Zuma will remain state president until 2019 elections, says MKMVA

In the wake of reports that some members of the ANC are calling on the party’s newly elected national executive committee (NEC) to recall President Jacob Zuma from office ahead of its first meeting on Wednesday in East London, the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) on Monday came out guns blazing in Zuma’s defence.

Speaking at a media briefing at Luthuli House on Monday, MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe said those in the ANC who wanted Zuma to step down were part of a regime-change agenda driven by people outside of the ANC who want to see the party divided and destroyed.

“It is because of this regime-change agenda that if you can get hold of President Jacob Zuma, our agenda will be implemented … Making him [Zuma] a problem is to make sure that even young people will say, ‘President Jacob Zuma is a problem why can’t he resign,’” Maphatsoe said.

The MKMVA leader, a staunch supporter of Zuma, said some people had expected the ANC to come out of its 54^th national conference held December last year “divided and bleeding”, but the party’s delegates disappointed them.

“Even myself I was [also] disappointed because the slate that I supported did not emerge [victorious], but I accepted the outcome of the conference. That is why we are saying, we accept the outcome of the conference, and we will rally behind the leadership of the ANC,” he said.

The MKMVA supported former AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be elected to lead the ANC as its first female leader, but deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa won the party presidency.

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