Africa highlights: Wednesday 14 February 2018, as it happened

Summary

Embattled South African president says he will not quit
Accuses governing ANC of treating him unfairly
Warns of unrest and a split in party
No-confidence vote in him set for Thursday
Anti-corruption squad raids home of Zuma-linked family
Five people reportedly arrested
Opposition calls for probe to target government ministers

Live Reporting

Clare Spencer and Farouk Chothia

Zuma ruins our Valentine's Daypublished at 17:45 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
A BBC correspondent in South Africa tweets:
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On that note, we're ending our live coverage on the showdown in South Africa between Mr Zuma and the governing ANC.
We'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, keep following developments by clicking on the BBC News website.
And enjoy this cartoon of the "Zexit" - as Mr Zuma's departure has been dubbed - that has not yet happened:
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No secret ballot in Zuma no-confidence votepublished at 17:27 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Cyril Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader in December
South Africa's parliament has confirmed that tomorrow's no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be by open ballot.
This is the first time the governing ANC plans to remove a president through a no-confidence vote.
It refused to back previous bids by the opposition to oust Mr Zuma, but the party turned on him after ex-business tycoon Cyril Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader in December, replacing the president.
Mr Zuma has been described by his critics as the worst president South Africa has had since the ANC swept to power at the end of white minority white rule in 1994.
Still waiting for Zuma's second announcementpublished at 17:25 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South African journalists are getting impatient as they wait to hear from President Jacob Zuma for the second time today.
He spoke on TV earlier today, and promised to issue a statement later in the day in response to his party's call that he should step down:
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Anti-corruption raids: 'Five to appear in court'published at 17:02 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
A journalist for national broadcaster SABC tweets that the five people arrested by South Africa's anti-corruption police today over the controversial relationship between the wealthy Gupta family and the government are on their way to court:
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Insults hurled at Zumapublished at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
An MP of South Africa's governing ANC has described President Jacob Zuma as "deranged‚ psychotic‚ insane‚ of unsound mind or just foolish", the local Times Live news site reports. , external
Philly Mapulane, the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on environmental affairs‚ tweeted his views, it reports.
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Zuma's tone was 'wounded'published at 16:46 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
Andrew Harding
BBC News, Johannesburg
Image source, Reuters
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President Jacob Zuma spoke for almost an hour on national television
An indignant Jacob Zuma went on national television to argue his case.
“What have I done,” he asked, in a wounded tone. “What is the rush?”
The president insisted he’d committed no crimes - that the many allegations of corruption against him were unproved.
And he said there was no reason for his party, the ANC, to remove him from office early, months before next year’s national elections. He said the decision to demand his immediate resignation was irrational, and unfair.
Mr Zuma said he’d proposed a smooth, delayed exit, giving him and the country a transition period to avoid tensions in the party, country, and beyond. It was important for instance to reassure other African states that he was not being “elbowed out.”
But the ANC has now rejected that proposal. So what next? Mr Zuma said he would not defy his party, but he would not cooperate with a decision he rejects.
He said he’d make a full statement later in the day.
How to vote out Zumapublished at 16:44 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
A South African journalist has tweeted a clause of the constitution, spelling out what happens during a no-confidence vote in the president - and he has a question of his own:
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What good has come of Zuma saga?published at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
The BBC's Lerato Mbele tweets that Jacob Zuma's resignation saga has been testing South Africa's pillars of democracy:
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ANC: Ramaphosa will be president on Fridaypublished at 16:16 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Cyril Ramaphosa has harboured presidential ambitions for a long time
South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) says its leader, Cyril Rampahosa, will be sworn in as president on Friday, if the chief justice is available.
Later in the day, he will deliver the state of the nation address which President Jacob Zuma was forced to postpone earlier this month, it said in a statement.
The party has also said that if Mr Zuma fails to resign today, parliament will pass a no-confidence vote in him tomorrow.
Read: Ramaphosa - South African unionist to boss
The allegations against Zumapublished at 16:11 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
President Zuma's opponents have failed in previous bids to oust him
Here's a brief look at the scandals that have dogged President Jacob Zuma:
- 2005: Charged with corruption over multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal - charges dropped shortly before he becomes president in 2009
- 2016: Court orders he should be charged with 18 counts of corruption over the deal
- 2016: Court rules he breached his oath of office by using government money to upgrade private home in Nkandla - he has repaid the money
- 2017: South Africa's public protector said he should appoint judge-led inquiry into allegations he profiteered from relationship with wealthy Gupta family - he denies allegations, as have the Guptas
- 2018: Zuma approves inquiry
What did Mbeki do?published at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
One recurrent theme from tweeters discussing South African President Jacob Zuma's fate is this: how his defiance compares with that of Thabo Mbeki, who stepped down as president when the ANC, then led by Mr Zuma, ordered him to do so:
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But we don't have to imagine how Mr Mbeki reacted, as the BBC's Nomsa Maseko has dug out Mr Mbeki's resignation video from almost ten years ago:
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South African tweeters joke about Zuma's defiancepublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
As South Africans await President Jacob Zuma's response to calls for his resignation, the memes have been trickling through on Twitter.
Here are a few:
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Zuma 'to address the nation in under two hours'published at 15:40 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South African national broadcaster SABC's presidential correspondent has tweeted the time President Jacob Zuma is expected to make a statement:
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19:00 in South Africa is 17:00GMT.
ANC 'wants budget speech to go ahead'published at 15:12 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South Africa's ruling ANC party chief whip Jackson Mthembu has told Reuters news agency that the party wants the reading of the budget to go ahead as scheduled next Wednesday.
That's despite the political uncertainty right now, as the country waits to see if President Jacob Zuma steps down after his party asked him to.
ANC MPs warned not to rebel in Zuma votepublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
A stalwart of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) has warned party MPs not to rebel against the motion of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma, a local radio station has tweeted:
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EFF: Rise and unite against Zumapublished at 14:26 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has welcomed parliament's decision to debate its no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma tomorrow.
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
The EFF has waged a long campaign to oust President Zuma
In a statement, external, it called for all parties "to rise and unite" behind this motion to remove Mr Zuma from power.
The EFF also welcomed the fact that the vote will be by open ballot.
"Now that it is the decision of all parties that Zuma must be removed from office, it is no longer necessary for the motion to be conducted in secret," it said.
'Ramaphosa's convoy' spotted at Zuma's placepublished at 14:10 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
In the latest flurry of political activity in South Africa, ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa has apparently arrived at the home of President Jacob Zuma, a journalist has tweeted:
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The reported visit comes after Mr Zuma defied the ANC by refusing to hand power to Mr Ramaphosa, who is currently the deputy president.
He was elected ANC leader in December, replacing the scandal-hit Mr Zuma.
Opposition calls for anti-Zuma protestpublished at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South Africa's main opposition leader, Mmusi Maimane, has called for a mass protest tomorrow to demand President Jacob Zuma's removal from power.
He has tweeted:
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The governing ANC and opposition parties are expected to unite in parliament tomorrow to pass a no-confidence vote in Mr Zuma.
ANC await Zuma's statementpublished at 13:38 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
President Zuma has defied calls by the ANC to resign
South Africa's ruling party has released a statement following President Jacob Zuma's refusal to heed its instruction to resign.
And what does the statement say? The ANC is awaiting the statement promised by Mr Zuma on live TV.
Read on:
Quote Message
President Zuma has affirmed that he has not defied the ANC. However, he does not agree with the decision [to order him to quit]. In addition, the President Zuma committed to deliver a statement in response to this decision later today. The African National Congress will await delivery of this response by President Zuma."
Zuma 'shows middle finger to ANC'published at 13:21 Greenwich Mean Time 14 February 2018
South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has shown the "middle finger" to his party, the governing African National Congress (ANC).
That's the view expressed by opposition MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, in an interview with privately owned eNCA TV.
A journalist has tweeted her comments:
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