Zuma will not step down for coalitions - MK vets

Johannesburg – The ANC’s military veterans on Monday rejected the EFF’s demand that President Jacob Zuma first had to step down before Julius Malema’s party entered into coalition talks.

“This thing that is trending, that there are parties saying in order to be in a coalition with you the president of the ANC must step down, that one will never arise,” Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans' Association chairperson Kebby Maphatsoe said.

His was reacting to the EFF’s demand that it would only form a coalition with the ANC in some of the country’s metros if Zuma was axed. ANC Youth League treasurer Reggie Nkabinde earlier echoed these sentiments, saying “Zuma is not going anywhere”.

Maphatsoe said Zuma had nothing to do with the outcome of Wednesday’s local government elections.

“President Zuma never contested the elections. He was not even a candidate of these elections. It's the ANC that contested.”

He did not say how the MKMVA hoped coalition talks would go, but said it would respect whatever decision the ANC made.

The EFF was in a position to help either the DA or ANC gain clear majorities in several metros. In Gauteng, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, and Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape, all had hung councils.

This article first appeared on News24.