Zuma says ANC efforts to unseat him are 'unfair'

Jacob Zuma faces a no-confidence motion

South African President Jacob Zuma said ongoing efforts to unseat him by the ruling ANC party were unfair, adding that he had been given no reason by the party why he should resign.

"It was very unfair to me that this issue is raised," he said in a television interview.

"Nobody has ever provide the reasons. Nobody is saying what I have done."

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) will support a motion of no-confidence brought by an opposition party against President Zuma tomorrow if he does not resign, the ANC's treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said.
           
The party's chief whip, Jackson Mthembu, added that the ANC hoped to elect party leader Cyril Ramaphosa as president of the country tomorrow, after the no-confidence vote, or on Friday

Earlier, South African police raided the luxury home of the Gupta family as part of an investigation into allegations the three brothers had corrupt links with Mr Zuma, who has been ordered by the ANC to quit as head of state.

The raid, which resulted in three arrests including members of the Gupta family, came amid reports Mr Zuma was preparing to tell South Africa he was stepping down after nine years in office dogged by scandal and economic stagnation.

Mr Zuma and the Guptas - a family of wealthy Indian-born businessmen - deny any wrongdoing. 

Police also raided the offices of the Gupta's Oakbay holding company in Johannesburg's upscale Sandton financial district.

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The raid on the Gupta's compound marks a dramatic escalation in the pressure on Mr Zuma and the political faction around him accused of milking state resources for their own ends.

A dozen officers from the elite Hawks police unit sealed off a street leading to the Gupta home in Johannesburg's upscale Saxonwold suburb.

Shortly afterwards, an unmarked police van left the compound as residents applauded police officers and hurled abuse at security guards for the Guptas, who have been accused by South Africa's top anti-corruption watchdog of influence-peddling and swaying the appointment of cabinet ministers.

Yesterday, the ruling African National Congress ordered Mr Zuma to step down as president of the country, giving him no firm deadline but saying the party was sure he would comply and "respond" today.

A lawyer for the Gupta family said he could not comment on the raid because he had yet to see the search warrant.

Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi said the raid was part of an investigation into allegations of influence peddling.

The allegations are also the subject of a judicial inquiry on wider corruption dubbed "state capture" in local media.

"We're not playing around in terms of making sure that those who are responsible in the so-called state capture, they take responsibility for it," Mr Mulaudzi said.

He declined to give details of what was seized or if the business premises of the Guptas, whose commercial empire stretches from mining to media, would also be raided, saying a full statement would be released later.

Besides his controversial relationship with the Guptas, Mr Zuma has 783 counts of corruption outstanding against him relating to a multi-billion dollar state arms deal in the late 1990s.

Mr Zuma's spokesman could not be reached for comment.

ANC spokesman Pule Mabe told national broadcaster SABC that Mr Zuma remained "a disciplined member of the ANC and would do what is best for a cadre of the movement".

Besides the pressure from the ANC, Mr Zuma is facing a no-confidence motion in parliament brought by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters and set for 22 February.

The ANC could throw its weight behind such a vote if Mr Zuma, who has survived several no-confidence motions in the past, refused to resign.

The entire cabinet would have to step down if such a vote went through.