S. African president faces top ruling party officials

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The top six officials in South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party are holding talks with President Jacob Zuma Sunday night to discuss whether to remove him from office or not.

According to the local IOL news website, party chairman Gwede Mantashe told worshippers at a church east of Johannesburg that they were meeting Zuma to consider options regarding his future as president of the country.

"We want to ensure that there is stability in the country that is why we are meeting President Zuma. We are not going to humiliate President Zuma; we are going to have a discussion on what is in the interest of the ANC and the economy,” Mantashe said.

Opposition parties have been calling on the ANC to remove the 75-year-old president, whose time in office has been marred by several allegations of corruption.

There is also another planned motion of no confidence against Zuma later this month in parliament.

Zuma who stepped down as ANC president in December after serving as party leader for two terms has been weakened by the election of his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader.

He had supported his ex-wife and former African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to replace him.

Zuma has survived several no-confidence votes thanks to his ruling ANC party, which holds the majority in parliament.

If he is not recalled by his party this week or removed by parliament, he will continue to serve as the country's president until mid-2019 when his second five-year term comes to an end.

ANC party spokespersons were not available for to comment.