ANC Women's League defends Zuma

The leader of the ANC women’s league has defended President Zuma, who was humiliated live on television by four women who held a silent protest about a rape case involving him 10 years ago.

The president was addressing the nation after the municipal polls which saw the ruling party’s support dwindle in some key municipalities.

Bathabile Dlamini, President of the ANC women’s league said, “No head of state should be treated like this. We can never allow this and the IEC must come clean on it because it was clearly choreographed. I think we all went through the president case and there were witnesses who spoke about the behaviour of the person concerned. I don’t want to discuss or talk about that. And even the president was not happy about what happened. If they wish and think the president is going to step down that is a dream.”

The controversy comes at a time when Jacob Zuma is facing renewed calls to step down as critics blame him for the party’s worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid.

The ruling party has been criticized for failing to reduce the unemployment rates and improve living standards.

The ANC’s women’s league and the youth league have pledged support for the embattled president.