Jean-Jacques Cornish

Zuma says only he can save ANC from capture by Western nations

President Jacob Zuma’s reportedly turned down a request by the integrity commission of the ruling African National Congress to resign.

He told the body he is the only person who can stop Western government from capturing the party and eventually the country.

Besieged by corruption allegations, Zuma’s facing a parliamentary no-confidence motion in a month’s time.

The ANC integrity commission decision against President Jacob Zuma is reported in the Johannesburg -based City Press newspaper.

The commission’s findings are addressed to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe.

They’re dated one week before the last national executive committee of the ruling party held in May, where Zuma survived yet another motion of no-confidence tabled against him.

The findings were  compiled by integrity commission chairman Andrew Mlangeni following meetings held between the commission  and Zuma in December and April.

Zuma told that body he had knowledge of alleged plots to get rid of him.

The commission dismisses Zuma’s claim. It does not accept the notion that opposition to the president can be attributed solely to a Western conspiracy.

It says Zuma’s  explanation ignores the very real problems in the ANC, as evidenced by the rapid decline in support for the party.

The 12-member commission set up more than four years ago had declared it is deeply perturbed at Zums actions and has twice before called on him to resign.

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Jean-Jacques Cornish is a journalist and broadcaster who has been involved in the media all his adult life.

Starting as a reporter on his hometown newspaper, he moved briefly to then Rhodesia before returning to South Africa to become a parliamentary correspondent with the South African Press Association. He was sent to London as Sapa’s London editor and also served as special correspondent to the United Nations. He joined the then Argus group in London as political correspondent.

Returning to South Africa after 12 years abroad, he was assistant editor on the Pretoria News for a decade before becoming editor of the Star and SA Times for five years.

Since 1999 he’s been an independent journalist writing and broadcasting – mainly about Africa – for Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape
Talk, Radio France International, PressTV, Radio Live New Zealand, Business Day, Mail & Guardian, the BBC, Agence France Press,
Business in Africa, Leadership, India Today, the South African Institute for International Affairs and the Institute for Security Studies.

He has hosted current affairs talk shows on Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk. He appears as an African affairs pundit on SABC Africa and CNBC Africa.
He lectured in contemporary studies to journalism students at the Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Pretoria.

He speaks on African affairs to corporate and other audiences.
He has been officially invited as a journalist to more than 30 countries. He was the winner of the 2007 SADC award for radio journalism.

He’s been a member of the EISA team observing elections in Somaliland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Tunsiai.

In October 2009 he headed a group of 39 African journalists to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Peoples’ Republic of China.

In January 2010 he joined a rescue and paramedical team to earthquake struck Haiti.

He is immediate past president of the Alliance Francaise of Pretoria.

Jean-Jacques is a director of Giant Media. The company was given access to Nelson Mandela in his retirement years until 2009.
He is co-producer of the hour-long documentary Mandela at 90 that was broadcast on BBC in January 2009.