South Africa set for new President
South Africa will have a new president by the end of the day.
MPs will head to the National Assembly at 2pm to vote for a new Head of State.
This after Jacob Zuma resigned from office last night.
Zuma addressed the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
He said he was resigning as president with immediate effect.
However, Zuma reiterated that he does not agree with the ANC's decision to recall him.
Zuma said he was stepping down as a disciplined member of the ruling party.
He says he will continue to dedicate all of his energy towards the attainment of the ANC's policies, especially radical economic transformation.
The ANC announced earlier this week that it had recalled Zuma so that new party president Cyril Ramaphosa could become the country's president. The party says this is to ensure it remains aligned to its own constitution which says the party president must be Head of State.
Ramaphosa was elected ANC president in Johannesburg in December last year.
The ANC has also said this year's State of the Nation Address, now expected to take place tomorrow, must be addressed by Ramaphosa.
With this in mind, Ramaphosa seems set to be voted in as president by MPs this afternoon.
Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo Tweeted earlier that the EFF's scheduled Motion of No Confidence in the president has now been altered to elect a new president.
This after Jacob Zuma resigned from office last night.
Zuma addressed the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
He said he was resigning as president with immediate effect.
However, Zuma reiterated that he does not agree with the ANC's decision to recall him.
Zuma said he was stepping down as a disciplined member of the ruling party.
He says he will continue to dedicate all of his energy towards the attainment of the ANC's policies, especially radical economic transformation.
The ANC announced earlier this week that it had recalled Zuma so that new party president Cyril Ramaphosa could become the country's president. The party says this is to ensure it remains aligned to its own constitution which says the party president must be Head of State.
Ramaphosa was elected ANC president in Johannesburg in December last year.
The ANC has also said this year's State of the Nation Address, now expected to take place tomorrow, must be addressed by Ramaphosa.
With this in mind, Ramaphosa seems set to be voted in as president by MPs this afternoon.
Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo Tweeted earlier that the EFF's scheduled Motion of No Confidence in the president has now been altered to elect a new president.
The agenda of the sitting of the National Assembly scheduled today at 14h00 to consider a #MotionOfNoConfidence, has now been altered to elect a new President
— Moloto Mothapo (@MolotoMothapo) February 15, 2018
Zuma ended his resignation speech last night saying that no blood should be lost in his name.
He said it was an honour to serve South Africans as president since 2009.