As early as a month ago, the South African public would have scoffed at the idea that Zuma would even come close to losing his no confidence vote.
It’s deja vu all over again, given that he’s survived this motion on five previous occasions. Optimism even amongst Zuma’s biggest detractors was, at best, wishful thinking.
But momentum can be a funny old thing, can’t it? The closer the vote has gotten, the more supporters the president has lost. His already damaged reputation has taken a battering thanks to state capture allegations and dissent from his own party members.
As it stands, Jacob Zuma could be just 26 votes away from losing the presidency.
The remarkable turnaround has been aided by former backers distancing themselves from Zuma: Already, we have the likes of the SACP – who helped the president get elected and propped up his government – renounce their support for him.
Then we have the high-profile MPs who have been largely critical of JZ’s reign, and are incredibly likely to vote against him: Makhosi Khoza has been Zuma’s fiercest internal opponent, where as Mondli Gungubele has declared he will vote to oust the leader.
Read: These are the five ANC MP’s most likely to vote against Jacob Zuma on Tuesday
The other MPs who have been less direct – but certainly implied their lack of confidence in Zuma – are Cyril Ramaphosa, Lindiwe Sisulu and Derek Hanekom. They have all said they will ‘vote with their conscience’ on Tuesday.
Here’s how it all works out…
The president himself is reportedly ‘relaxed and at ease’ with the impending vote, according to an inside source.
He’ll need to get used to that feeling should the ballot swing against him tomorrow: Unemployment gives you plenty of time to relax, Jacob.