[Well, Mbeki’s first bullet in Zuma’s head didn’t quite do the trick… but it looks as if that little rape charge thing… the kick in Zuma’s nuts… might just do the trick!

Whoever wanted Zuma gone – WANTED HIM GONE! BIG TIME!

Yes, Mbeki and his buddies must be behind it. But is that all there is to it? Or is there something else afoot? Is it purely tribal? Or are there deeper things?

Do you know, at times, I have even wondered – BIZARRE AS THIS THEORY MAY BE – as to whether the USA is somehow involved.

Perhaps it is all just purely TRIBAL – nothing more than The Xhosas wanting to run the country the way the Afrikaners ran the country. We will have to see. It would be quite a coup for the Xhosas.

But the Xhosas make me laugh. In BATTLES OF SOUTH AFRICA (in my book shop), I read about some of the things the Xhosas did in past history. They are quite a damned crazy tribe – given to self-delusion and fighting among themselves. If they were crazy in the past, will they be crazy in the future again??

Anyway, I still want to see what Zuma does. Is this it? Is this the bullet that will finish him off? What will the Communists do? What will the Zulus do?

The whole thing reeks. This was *BIG*… What surprises me, is the sheer INTENSITY of the attack. Whoever wanted him out… wanted him GONE… with no questions asked, and if the first, well-laid, and long-prepared trap, did not bring him down, the dirty trick in the bedroom was then brought in. (I would love to know more about the actual rape and how it happened). I’m just fascinated by the sheer INTENSITY & DETERMINATION of bringing Zuma down. I wish I was a fly on the wall who knew all that went on behind bringing Zuma down. Jan]

JACOB Zuma looks set to step down from his position as deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) amid indications that rape charges are imminent. Zuma insiders said they believed the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) would charge Zuma by the end of the week, leaving him no option but to relinquish his party post until the end of a potentially ugly rape trial.

In the event that Zuma quits his ANC post, he will have surrendered his last political refuge since his dismissal from cabinet in June.

Until the shock rape claim two weeks ago, Zuma had relied on his popularity in the ANC and had used the party’s machinery to garner public support in his corruption trial.

This has allowed him to remain a factor in the ANC’s succession tussle. But in the face of an imminent rape charge, it is understood Zuma and his top aides are this week considering three options to manage the fallout from such a charge.

The first is a permanent resignation from his post of ANC deputy president, but one source close to Zuma said this was unlikely. This was because the national general council said Zuma could not step down until the conclusion of his various trials.

The second option was to urge a special conference of the ANC, but this too has been discounted, given that not much time had elapsed since the national general council. The process of calling a special conference is also cumbersome and there are strict constitutional criteria to be met.

Zuma’s last option would be to take a “leave of absence” from his ANC duties pending the outcome of a rape trial, said the source. This option would be the best for both Zuma and the ANC top brass, who would be saved the potentially divisive move of forcibly suspending him.

Suspending Zuma would fall on ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe, who would have to formulate charges in terms of Rule 25.5 of the party’s constitution.

If Zuma took a “leave of absence” it would also allow him to avoid being publicly stripped of his party post and spare Motlanthe the burden of acting against him. Zuma would then appear in public as having followed his conscience and acted in the best interests of the ANC.

Public pressure has mounted on Zuma to speak publicly about the damaging allegations. Yesterday Michael Hulley, Zuma’s lawyer, said that he would be releasing a statement on his client’s behalf today. However a top Zuma aide was adamant that Zuma would speak only once he was charged.

The NPA yesterday refused to confirm speculation that Zuma would be charged within the week. But sources close to the investigation said the evidence against him was “damning”.

Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi said Zuma’s options had narrowed considerably following the public disavowal of his presidential ambitions by the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party.

“If he’s charged, it makes sense for him to step down. But it is unlikely that he will announce it via a media briefing where he will be subjected to questions about the rape allegations.”

Matshiqi said Zuma would likely announce his future plans through a “terse statement” issued by his lawyer.

While Zuma’s star is waning, the ANC Youth League is desperately hanging on to the hope of a Zuma presidency.

The league is the only organisation that has publicly backed Zuma to succeed President Thabo Mbeki as ANC president in 2007, and stand to lose the most from Zuma’s demise. League president Fikile Mbalula yesterday conceded, however, that the league would fall in line with any ANC decision made in the event of Zuma being charged with rape.

Yesterday the ANC’s top brass were locked in a meeting of the party’s national working committee to consider, among other things, its next move regarding the rape allegation.

Source: AllAfrica.Com
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200511290723.htm…/p>