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No discussion to recall Zuma: S. African ruling party

Xinhua, December 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday denied rumors that discussion was underway to recall President Jacob Zuma over his flip-flopping in appointing finance ministers.

"I can confirm there was no discussion of recalling the President," ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told a press conference in Johannesburg.

Kodwa was responding to "a number of hoax statements" claiming that Zuma had been recalled due to the ANC's disappointment over Zuma's removal of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.

On December 9, Zuma dismissed Nene and appointed David van Rooyen, a little known MP, to replace him. But four days later, Zuma appointed Pravin Gordhan, then Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to replace Van Rooyen, in an apparent bid to stabilise the market that had been plunged into turmoil since Van Rooyen's appointment.

Zuma has been criticised for flip-flopping the appointments. There have been calls for the president to step down due to his "inability to control the situation".

Also on Tuesday, ANC Deputy Secretary Jesse Duarte said the party did not support the call to remove the president.

Duarte refuted reports that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa had threatened to resign following the sacking of Nene.

Duarte said Ramaphosa was part of behind-the-scene meetings that led to Zuma re-appointing Pravin Gordhan as finance minister. Gordhan was finance minister in the previous administration between 2009 and 2014.

"Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has been working closely with us every single day since Thursday morning. He was with us yesterday, last night, and he was also with us on Sunday when the National officials met with the President, and when he accepted an indication that a change was needed," Duarte said.

Duarte also retracted her earlier statement that ANC veteran Barbara Hogan and member Shaka Sisulu were organising marches calling for President Jacob Zuma to be recalled.

Duarte said in her earlier statement that Hogan and Sisulu were organising "ZumaMustFall" marches,scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Endit