AS IT HAPPENED: Zuma expected to address the media on Wednesday

OUTA urges Zuma to take cue from Mbeki exit

Civil rights body the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has said that President Jacob Zuma should take his cue from the "graceful exit of Thabo Mbeki in 2008" rather than clinging to power. 

OUTA was commenting on the fate of the SA president on Tuesday afternoon in the wake of an ANC media briefing where the party's secretary general Ace Magashule had confirmed that Zuma would be recalled. 

Zuma can refuse ANC, Parliament must remove him - DA 

The Democratic Alliance says only Parliament can recall President Jacob Zuma, and that the ANC's resolution is nothing more than an internal resolution.

"It has no effect on Jacob Zuma’s current status as President of the Republic, and can be simply ignored by Zuma," DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Tuesday.

"Unless he tenders his resignation, this recall is not worth the paper it is printed on."

Zuma must tender his resignation, urges Thabo Mbeki Foundation

The Thabo Mbeki Foundation welcomed the ANC national executive committee's (NEC's) decision to recall of President Jacob Zuma, saying it was long overdue. 

The foundation said in a statement on Tuesday that Zuma should tender his resignation to Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete.

It said the decision to recall Zuma, gives the ANC, as the governing party, the possibility to urgently and immediately attend to the many challenges and negative developments which have arisen during his tenure.

Zuma has done nothing wrong but he must go – Magashule

President Jacob Zuma has done nothing wrong but he must still be recalled.

That is the word from ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, who confirmed to the media on Tuesday that the party's national executive committee (NEC) decided at its meeting on Monday to recall Zuma as head of state.

SA economy high on Zexit euphoria but budget will be real test - economists

As the country awaits the final exit of President Jacob Zuma, economists believe the climate of renewed hope bodes well for South Africa’s future.

The ANC on Tuesday confirmed its decision to recall Zuma after he refused to resign voluntarily, despite being asked to do so by the ANC's Top 6. Economists however speculate that this is only a short-term obstacle and that his office will be vacated shortly.

Cosatu statement following the ANC NEC's decision to recall President Zuma

The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the ANC NEC decision to recall President Jacob Zuma from office as the President of South Africa.

We have also noted that the president has since refused to abide by the decision of the NEC and resign. The federation is not at all surprised by this level of intransigence and total inebriation with power by President Jacob Zuma.

This after all is the president who working with his mercenary followers converted his Cabinet into a rent-seeking, docile and unaccountable caste. He divided and humiliated the ANC on a number of occasions and weakened and almost dismantled the Alliance.

The ANC under his leadership behaved like a fanatical cult. While the idea of not humiliating him was gracious from the new leadership, we think the time has arrived for the ANC to stop this undistinguished political theatre and put the country first.

We call on them to recall President Zuma using parliamentary processes and if it means supporting the Motion of No Confidence that was tabled by the EFF, so be it.

Allowing this gruesome posturing by President Jacob Zuma to continue unabated, risks plunging the country into an economic and political crisis.

Cosatu also urges the ANC to explore the possibility of charging President Zuma and subjecting him to a disciplinary process for defying a Constitutional structure of the ANC and bringing the organisation into disrepute.

Twitter reacts to #ZumaRecall: From the funny to the serious

The ANC national executive committee announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to recall President Jacob Zuma, following a lengthy meeting on Monday.

While the announcement at a press conference provided South Africa with some much-needed clarity on the matter, the timeline around Zuma's resignation deadline was left up in the air. 

Secretary general Ace Magashule said Zuma had not been given a timeline to step down, but added that he was "sure Zuma will respond tomorrow (Wednesday)". 

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: 

UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT 

Success! UDM reaction to “Suspect Number One”; Jacob Zuma being recalled

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) welcomes the decision to recall Mr Jacob Zuma as the President of the Republic of South Africa (SA).

It has taken far too long for this to happen, once it became patently clear (years ago) that he was not fit to hold the highest office in the Country. We can rightly say that the African National Congress (ANC) only reached this decision because of the continued, consistent pressure exerted by opposition parties; civil society; and the media, who played a critical role in exposing institutionalised corruption such as #GuptaLeaks.

It is encouraging that those who campaigned for Mr Zuma to vacate his office, had free access to media and radio talk shows. This demonstrates that the tools of democracy and a free society, as provided by our Constitution, work.

The ANC’s much vaunted self-correcting nature is a damp squib. South Africans, especially eligible voters, have realised that the ANC has lost its moral high-ground and had relinquished its status as South Africa’s liberation movement. If it wants to be taken seriously, the ANC - which have been protecting Mr Zuma, at all cost - must own up to this mess and immediately charge Mr Zuma and his fellow gangsters. In the end him and his colleagues your deployees!

Regarding the future, the UDM is positive, but recognise that it will take the nation years to recover from the damage caused by the tangible effects of Mr Zuma’s administration on the lives of our people on a daily basis. It will also take time to convince the international community, the ratings agencies, and investors that South Africa no longer has a weak and corrupt government that easily succumbs to the influence of pirates and privateers. 

However, only half the battle has been won at this time. All patriotic South Africans, opposition parties, civil society, and the media should not now rest and lower their guards. We must ensure that the culprits face the full might of the law and that the billions of stolen Rands be returned to the last cent!

South Africa has learnt several harsh, but valuable lessons in this experience. One thing that should be done to curb corruption in Government – perpetrated by political deployees and officials alike – should be the appointment of specialist investigating units, with forensic auditing capacity, as well as dedicated courts to expedite the prosecution of offenders. 

We hope that Mr Zuma’s departure from office also signals a departure from this almost cult-like hero-worshiping of certain individuals just because they have “struggle credentials”.

Struggle credentials do not maketh the man!

There is no place in our history for people who have tarnished the legacy of our freedom fighters; we must draw a line in the sand and start from scratch to create a corruption-free government that works in the service of the people. 

Issued by:

Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP 

BLSA calls for swift action as Zuma now isolated 

President Jacob Zuma is now isolated. He can delay - but his political demise has virtually been signed today.

This was the reaction of political analyst Daniel Silke after the ANC's national executive committee announced its decision to recall Zuma after days of deliberations and a marathon 13-hour meeting the day before.

Business Leadership South Africa said it’s now important to end the two-week chaos and urged the ANC’s new leadership to act swiftly, but constitutionally, in removing their deployee from the high office.

The NEC said there was no deadline for Zuma to resign.

The rand, which initially strengthened to R11.88/$, dipped 0.2% to R11.96 by 14:42 as traders were unconvinced that Zuma would depart soon.

Rand ticks up on Zuma recall 

Update: The rand reversed gains on the news that the ANC has not set a deadline for President Jacob Zuma to finish his term. The rand was trading at R11.95/$ at 14:30. 

Cape Town - The rand firmed 0.5% after the ANC confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that it has decided to recall President Jacob Zuma.

By 14:07 the rand was trading 0.45% firmer at R11.88 to the US dollar, after trading steady between R11.90 and R11.94 for most of the day.

Bloomberg reported that the rand is still trading as if Zuma is as good as gone.