Gigaba: Parliament Will Remove Zuma If He Does Not Resign

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba told CNN that JZ will be removed by Parliament if he does not go voluntarily.
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CNN

President Jacob Zuma will be removed through Parliament if he does not resign, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has said.

Gigaba told the host of CNN's Quest Means Business, Bianna Golodryga, that the president is due to address the nation at 10am on Wednesday morning and that the ANC will know which course of action to take after that.

If Zuma does not announce his resignation, the ANC will take steps against him in Parliament, he said.

"I think what we expect now is that the deadline which has been set for the president by the national executive committee is for tomorrow [Wednesday]. We expect that ... he is going to do the right thing‚ as the NEC expects. The secretary-general [Ace Magashule] was very clear that we expect of the cadres of the ANC to do the right thing when called upon‚ as president Mbeki did in 2008‚" Gigaba reportedly said.

"If that doesn't happen‚ the NEC has put in mechanisms to address that situation. There is an ANC caucus [Wednesday] in the national parliament where members of the ANC will deliberate on the issue and plan the way forward.

"It's going to take place an hour after President Zuma would have addressed the nation at 10am‚ so we would know by then what's the course of direction we're going to take. But‚ surely‚ should he continue to refuse‚ should he refuse‚ we would then have to resort on a parliamentary process that‚ with a 62% majority and the support of other opposition parties‚ we are certain to pass."

The ANC announced on Wednesday that it had recalled Zuma, but the party could give no timeline on when he is expected to leave office.

Gigaba reportedly said he supported the NEC's decision to Zuma to step down, "and to step down immediately", and said it was important that political certainty in the country should be restored.

He said the economy had already shown signs of improvement.

"We've already seen positive indicators in the economy: the bond yields reducing‚ we've seen the rand strengthening against the dollar‚ we've also seen a number of other factors‚ including declining unemployment. All of those are positive signals that big decisions taken by the new leadership in four weeks‚ which indicate we are living through a very significant transition that will augur well for the people of South Africa."

According to Business Day, the ANC in Parliament has been tasked with a strategy for his removal if Zuma does not announce his resignation on Wednesday. This is despite ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule saying there was no decision from the NEC on the question of whether Zuma should be removed by a motion of no confidence in Parliament.

Gigaba also told CNN that there was no chaos in government as a result of the situation with Zuma, and that government was keen to see the commission of inquiry on state capture get underway.