Jacob Zuma's Last Stand

NO ONE expected Jacob Zuma to go gracefully. But as South Africa's ever-defiant president drags out his final days in office, even his allies in the ruling party have had enough. On February 13th the African National Congress (ANC) said that its national executive committee had “recalled” Mr Zuma as president “with urgency” (under the party's rules, though not the country's constitution, all government officials serve at the ANC's pleasure). In response, Mr Zuma said he would leave office—in three to six months. He had already swatted away an appeal from the six most senior leaders in the party to resign a week earlier. This is in character: shameless and stubborn, he has, over the years, appeared unfazed by damning court decisions against him as well as mass demonstrations demanding that he go. A popular cartoon doing the rounds in South Africa shows a huge crowd of people outside his office. A party colleague says: “It's the people. They've come to say goodbye.” An insouciant Zuma replies: “Where are they going?”