We cannot say exactly when Jacob Zuma will go, Ace Magashule says

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and the party’s chief whip, Jackson Mthembu, shed no light on discussions that took place in the ANC caucus meeting on Thursday about the future of President Jacob Zuma.

At a hastily convened media conference after the meeting, Mthembu said Ramaphosa had addressed the caucus, but would not divulge what the president of the ANC had told MPs.

Mthembu insisted that matters of the caucus were internal to the ANC and would not be disclosed to the media.

Magashule said he had attended the caucus meeting with Ramaphosa as it was the first meeting of the year. MPs had been encouraged to work hard and implement the resolutions of the ANC national conference.

The message conveyed was that "this is the year of unity, renewal and jobs," Magashule said. His message was also to urge MPs to unite and instil confidence in society in general and in the ANC.

Magashule repeated the statement made by Ramaphosa on Wednesday that "constructive and fruitful" discussions had taken place between Ramaphosa and Zuma about Zuma’s departure from office. Asked when this would take place Magashule said "we can’t determine the time".

Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise also briefed the caucus on their decision to postpone the state of the nation address. There was also a discussion of the rules for the impeachment of the president which are currently under discussion by a subcommittee of Parliament’s rules committee.

The state of the nation address, originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed earlier this week. This was in the context of threatened disruptions by opposition parties should it be addressed by Zuma.

A meeting of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) was also postponed following the "constructive" meeting between Ramaphosa and Zuma. The NEC meeting could have voted for the removal of Zuma.