Jacob Zuma Steps Down as South Africa’s President

Jacob Zuma Steps Down as South Africa’s PresidentMr. Magashule said the corruption accusations against the president had played no role, saying, "We did not take these decisions because Comrade Jacob Zuma has done anything wrong." Mr. Magashule’s remarks suggested the party might be reluctant to deal head-on with the culture of corruptionthat was endemic under Mr. Zuma — and also that it was concerned about its success in future elections.On Tuesday, after more than a week of failed efforts by Mr. Ramaphosa to ease Mr. Zuma out office, party leaders ordered him to step down, saying his continued presence as the nation’s leader would "erode the renewed hopeand confidence among South Africans," and indicating that he was hurting the party’s electoral prospects.Mr. Zuma, who throughout his long career had overcome scandals with a combination of guile and boldness, said he did "not fear exiting political office." He expressed contrition, though only fleetingly, sayingthat in executing his political responsibilities, he had not been "the epitome of perfection." "If truth be told," he added, "none of us are." Mr. Zuma still faces possible corruption charges for an arms deal in the 1990s, before he was president.For years, Mr. Zuma — as the leader of both the partyand the nation — had relied on his party’s support to fend off opposition-led no-confidence votes in Parliament and damning rulings by the nation’s highest courts.14, 2018JOHANNESBURG — President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, a master tactician who survived a string of corruption scandalsand harsh court judgments during his nearly nine-year presidency, agreed on Wednesday night to step down, repudiated by the governing African National Congress Party, threatened by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, cornered by opposition parties and abandoned by millions of voters.The developments were a clear sign of how much had changed in the two months since Mr. Ramaphosa was chosen to succeed Mr. Zuma as theleader of the A.N.C., creating what South Africans refer to as the two centers of power — the presidency and the head of the party.