Wednesday 14 February 2018

South Africa's Zuma: I've done nothing wrong


Media captionSouth Africa's president Jacob Zuma: 'They never provided a reason'
South Africa's scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma says he has done nothing wrong - and sees no reason to stand down immediately.
Mr Zuma spoke after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) announced it would back a vote of no confidence in his leadership on Thursday.
The 75-year-old has come under increasing pressure to resign amid numerous allegations of corruption.
But he said the ANC had failed to explain why he had been recalled.
"It was very unfair to me that this issue is raised," he told the national broadcaster SABC during a lengthy unannounced interview. "They did not provide me with reasons."
Mr Zuma said he had offered to go after June, but objected to the way the issue was currently being handled.
He said he would make a further statement later on Wednesday.
Earlier, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu announced that a motion of no-confidence in the president would be heard on Thursday, with Cyril Ramaphosa - who was elected ANC president in December - sworn in as the nation's president as soon as possible after that.
A meeting of the ANC's National Executive Committee had announced its decision to recall Mr Zuma on Tuesday and gave him until the end of Wednesday to resign.
Meanwhile, South African police have ramped up their investigation into Mr Zuma's close associates, the wealthy, Indian-born Gupta family, conducting a raid and making several arrests early on Wednesday.
The Guptas have been accused of using their close friendship with Mr Zuma to wield enormous political influence. Both parties deny all allegations of wrongdoing.
Members of the Hawks special police unit stand guard outside Gupta homeImage copyrightEPA
Image captionThe Gupta family's walled compound in Johannesburg was subject to an early morning raid by elite police

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