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Anti-Zuma marches are part of a coup - KZN ANC

Marchers have left party 'with no choice but to defend the country' from those who they say 'are trying to destroy it'

Anti-Zuma marches are part of a coup - KZN ANC

6 April 2017

Durban – Friday’s marches to get President Jacob Zuma to resign before his term ends are part of a coup by opposition parties who lost the national elections in 2014, the KwaZulu-Natal ANC said on Thursday.

Zuma was elected by voters in 2014 and would serve until his term ended in 2019, said provincial ANC secretary Super Zuma.

KwaZulu-Natal is the ANC’s largest province, and includes the Ethekwini region, which is the largest ANC region in the country.

Zuma told News24 that the leaders of the anti-Zuma marches, and those who were calling for him to step down, were people who never voted for the ANC.

"The attempts to get Zuma to resign are part of a coup by those who never voted for the ANC, including the DA and the EFF. They contested the elections in 2014 and were defeated, but now they are trying to get the country through the back door."

He said the anti-Zuma marchers had left them with no choice but to defend the country "from those who are trying to destroy it".

The protests and marches have been sparked by the president’s recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Super Zuma said it was up to the president to recall ministers.

"People are appointed by the president, after consultations with the ANC, to become ministers. Indeed it is his priority to recall them," he said.

Since 1994, there has never been a problem with Cabinet reshuffling, even during the times of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, said Zuma.

"Why this time?" he asked.

"People are deployed to be ministers, but they must expect that there’ll be a time where the president wants to deploy someone else in their roles," he added.

Provincial ANCYL secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo earlier said there would be marches to defend President Zuma across the province, but that the main march would be in Durban on Friday.

News24