Zuma jumps in on SARB debate after Ramaphosa statement

ANC senior leaders have been entangled in a public dispute following a national executive meeting over the weekend and on Thursday night former president Jacob Zuma joined in by saying his bit on twitter.

Zuma on Twitter wrote a status to remind the ANC about its conference resolutions in relation with the debate surrounding the South African Reserve Bank. 

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and one Zuma’s allies had told journalists during a media briefing on Tuesday that the ANC had resolved that the central bank’s mandate should be expanded beyond price stability, to also include growth and employment. 

Magashule has been rebuked for “misinterpreting” and “misrepresenting” the outcomes of the NEC meeting.

By Thursday afternoon, President Cyril Ramaphosa released a statement saying the mandate of the reserve bank remained unchanged. 

Ramaphosa in his statement said it was the party’s wants the reserve bank to be publicly owned, but this would not be happening immediately. 

“We recognize that this will come at a cost, which given our current economic and fiscal situation, is simply not prudent,” said Ramaphosa. 

Magashule appeared to tweet his own statement from earlier in the week in protest, but this was soon deleted and labeled as a ‘fake tweet’. The secretary-general then tweeted Ramaphosa’s statement and added “all ANC members who love tweeting and expressing themselves are to adhere to this line of march”.

“It has come to my attention that there is a fake tweet doing the rounds alleged to be from my account,” tweeted the general.

“The Officials have met today and we have agreed to the below statement. All ANC members who love Tweeting and expressing themselves are to adhere to this line of march,” he added.

About an hour after Magashule tweeted, Zuma followed.

“Is there policy uncertainty? Here is a reminder of one of the resolutions of the last ANC elective conference in Nasrec,” Zuma tweeted, adding a picture of the party’s resolution on the issue of the SARB.

On Twitter, while some agreed with former president, others questioned why Zuma had not acted on the resolution since he was still president then.