South Africa’s ANC calls demands for Prez Ramaphosa to step down

Cape Town: South Africa’s African National Congress party will not consider any demands from possible coalition partners that President Cyril Ramaphosa step down, a top official said Sunday, as the ANC attempted to present a united front after a stinging election result ended its 30-year majority.

As South Africa heads for a series of complex talks to form a national coalition government for the first time and establish stability, ANC secretary-general Fikile

Mbalula said Ramaphosa would remain as party leader and any demands from others that he resign for talks to go ahead was “a no-go area.”

“President Ramaphosa is the president of the ANC,” Mbalula said in the ANC leadership’s first public comments since the landmark election results.

“And if you come to us with that demand that Ramaphosa is going to step down as the president, that is not going to happen.”

Mbalula said the ANC was open to talks with every other political party in an effort to form a government,

but “no political party will dictate terms to us, the ANC.

They will not...You come to us with that demand, forget (it).”