BREAKING: Jacob Zuma Finally Quits As South Africa President

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Despite being known for being an astute political operator, Zuma’s presidency was characterised by scandal and corruption allegations, making him the most controversial president since the end of apartheid. South Africa will look back and wonder how we allowed a president so reprehensible to last so long in office. “South Africa will look back and wonder how we allowed a president so reprehensible to last so long in office,” Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, author of Democracy and Delusion: 10 Myths in South African Politics, told Al Jazeera. Corruption allegations South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled last December that parliament had failed to hold Zuma accountable over the alleged use of state funds to upgrade his rural home in Nkandla. That followed an earlier court decision in April 2016 that found Zuma had “failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution”. It resulted in an impeachment vote that same month, but the motion failed to pass when parliament, where the ANC holds a majority, voted 233 to 143 in Zuma’s favour. Zuma was also found to have given favour to an Indian immigrant family known as the Guptas, in what became known as the state capture scandal. It was reported that the family wielded such influence over Zuma that they were able to decide who got appointed to the cabinet. Zuma has always claimed his innocence and some South Africans still defend him, saying he was targeted unfairly in a system that is underpinned by corruption. “When it comes to the allegations of state capture, the state was captured a long time ago. And here we are focusing only on Zuma. There is a broader perspective one needs to take when looking at state capture,” Wandile Giwa, a 26-year-old student, told Al Jazeera. Joyful response expected But most South Africans are expected to be overjoyed by Zuma’s ouster. The call for Zuma to step down reached a crescendo in early February when the Nelson Mandela Foundation released a statement calling for him to go immediately. “President Zuma has abused the trust of South Africans. He must go, sooner rather than later. Time is of the essence,” the foundation said. The court rulings heightened pressure on new ANC head Cyril Ramaphosa, who was elected party leader in December 2017, to force Zuma to step down as the party looks to repair its reputation. But Zuma had survived several no-confidence votes in parliament and until early February believed he would survive another. The tide changed, however, and several of his allies abandoned him. Ramaphosa has been clear that he had no intention of humiliating Zuma and the ANC itself reportedly wanted him to bow out on his own, rather than drag out the process. Still, Zuma leaves the ANC deeply divided and analysts say the party faces a serious challenge to repair its reputation in his wake. “Ramaphosa will have a hard time fixing a party that faces indecision and disagreement over its values at every level,” said Ebrahim Fakir, an independent political analyst. But despite signs that the party was losing electoral support over the protracted drama, internal divisions forced Ramaphosa to tread cautiously. For years, the ANC — which led South Africa out of apartheid — put party unity first, even as it became apparent that Zuma was an electoral liability. This is a breaking story — more to follow Add 0802 739 7554 To Receive NEWS ALERTS On WhatsApp; For Adverts Enquiries, Whatsapp 0802 739 7554, READ ALSO! 14-Year-Old Pregnant Housemaid Dislodges Her Childless Madam, Says I Can’t Share Husband With You READ ALSO! The Smart CEO: Top 5 Websites To Get Cheap Domain Name Registration READ ALSO! First Bank’s Appalling Customer Service And Utter Disregard For Its Customers READ ALSO! Nigerian Filmmaker, Zuriel Oduwole Makes Forbes List Of 100 Most Influential African Women READ ALSO! the statement he issued earlier on Sunday ]]>