South Africa: Signs of a Third Term for Zuma?

By Amanda Khoza, News24
Subtle hand gestures of the number three were common practice at the ANC Youth League congress in Midrand, Johannesburg at the weekend.
Some have speculated the three fingers symbolised a third term for Jacob Zuma - an assertion the ANC and the ANCYL leadership has downplayed.


Addressing the media on Sunday, newly elected ANCYL president Collen Maine told the media that he was merely imitating what the delegates were doing and that the media should not read too much into it.
"There are delegates from various provinces and there are various signs used in congress. Other delegates will make this sign, others will make that and some will clap hands, so we cannot ask them why they are doing that.
"We were just joining delegates who were singing. It [the three fingers] mean nothing," said Maine when asked why he used the sign.
On Tuesday provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala said the party drew no conclusion from the signs used at the congress.
"In the ANC we do not discuss issues through signs, we openly debate through processes."
Zikalala said the signs do not represent anything to the party.
"The issues of leadership in the ANC are not discussed through signs but through the eye of the needle and in the meetings of the ANC."
On a third term for President Jacob Zuma, he said: "We have not expressed ourselves yet on the matter, we will discuss that when we get to the discussion of documents at the PGC.
"...In terms of the ANC's constitution, when we go to conference we always discuss the constitution of the ANC and I don't think the ANC constitution has terms.
"The question of terms does not arise. The ANC resolution in terms of the constitution states that the person who is the president of the ANC should be the president of the country and that is the policy of the ANC on the issue."
Source: News24