Africa

S.Africa's Zuma eyeing ex-wife as successor: Opposition

Critics charge making Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma president is meant to protect Jacob Zuma from court cases

23.01.2017 - Update : 23.01.2017
S.Africa's Zuma eyeing ex-wife as successor: Opposition South Africa's President Jacob Zuma

South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

A South African opposition party claimed Monday that the president is setting plans in motion for his ex-wife to succeed him.

Dennis Bloem, spokesman for the Congress of the People (COPE), told Anadolu Agency he had learned from well-placed members of the ruling party that President Jacob Zuma will remove Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and replace him with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

“This move to elevate Dlamini-Zuma to finance minister is a move by Zuma to prepare her to take over as president of the ANC [ruling African National Congress] and hopefully of the country,” he said.

Dlamini-Zuma, 67, is about to end her term as chair of the African Union Commission. The former anti-apartheid activist previously served in various cabinet posts.

Last week Zuma hinted that he will support her because his ruling ANC is now ready for a female president.

The ANC will be holding a conference later this year to elect its leaders. If Dlamini wins, she will almost certainly become South Africa’s next president since the ANC still enjoys majority support in the country.

Dlamini-Zuma also received a boost last week from the ANC’s women’s league and the youth league endorsing her candidacy. 

Court cases

Some commentators have, however, criticized Zuma, saying he is backing Dlamini-Zuma because she would protect him from the many criminal cases he may face after he has to step down as the country’s president in 2019, after two terms.

“Zuma faces over 700 cases and it’s highly likely that he may be found guilty. I believe that’s why he has to back people close to him,” Andre Duvenhage, a political science professor at North-West University, told Anadolu Agency.

South Africa’s legal system does not give sitting or former presidents amnesty from criminal prosecution.

Responding to the opposition claims in statement, the ANC women’s league said the appointment of Cabinet members is the president’s constitutional prerogative.

The body further appealed to the opposition to stop meddling in ANC politics and instead focus on their party affairs.

The presidency is expected to issue a statement later today clarifying the matter.

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