Ramaphosa can't be trusted - Zuma camp

Durban - ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa will never be president of South Africa, if supporters of President Jacob Zuma have their way.

The Mail & Guardian reported on Friday that senior ANC officials had said Ramaphosa could not be trusted not to reopen the corruption probe against Zuma.

This was why plans were being made to stop Ramaphosa from succeeding Zuma when his current term ends.

The supporters in KwaZulu-Natal had apparently already started lobbying to have former home affairs minister and current AU chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, succeed Zuma instead of Cyril Ramaphosa.

These plans were confirmed by eight senior ANC leaders who spoke to the Mail & Guardian on condition of anonymity.

"The plan was never to have Ramphosa as ANC president. He was never an ultimate choice. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time. He was invited to fill the space in Mangaung only after Kgalema Motlanthe turned them [Zuma supporters] down and contested Zuma for the position of president. To them, he [Ramaphosa] remains an invitee,” said a senior ANC leader in Gauteng.

The source said Zuma was thinking about convincing Motlanthe to stay on as the country’s deputy president beyond the 2014 elections. If he didn’t succeed in this, he could even approach Baleka Mbete, the ANC chairperson.

Official ANC spokespeople denied any knowledge of plans to stop Ramaphosa from succeeding Zuma as party president.

- Full M&G report.