ANC's top six leaders support President Zuma despite judicial lashing

African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe has announced that the ANC's top leadership "unanimously" stands behind President Jacob Zuma after a scathing Constitutional Court judgment - and vowed that the party would not be split by the Nkandla issue.

"The ANC welcomes this well written‚ extremely balanced judgment. The constitution remains the anchor‚ shield and lodestar of our nation‚" Mantashe told a Johannesburg news conference on Friday night.

"The president has assured the ANC that he will adhere to the judgment and implement all 11 clauses. There was no intention on the part of the president to deliberately act inconsistent with the constitution."

He said that the opposition and others were guilty of "sensationalising" the judgment‚ which was not that harsh on Zuma.

"We are extremely wary of attempts by the opposition parties to tear the ANC apart."

Mantashe said the ANC's top six leaders - himself‚ Zuma‚ deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa‚ chair Baleka Mbete‚ treasurer Zweli Mkhize and his deputy‚ Jessie Duarte - had all agreed to stand behind Zuma at a meeting earlier on Friday.

"All six were present and deliberated extensively on the constitutional court judgment delivered yesterday."

Mantashe said it was "quite important" that Zuma had apologised for the confusion surrounding the Nkandla matter.

"The call for impeachment (by the official opposition‚ the Democratic Alliance) is nothing new. We are not surprised by the opposition calling for impeachment.

"What the ANC views as being most urgent now is the implementation of the judgment‚" he said.

The ANC's national working committee will also be meeting on Monday‚ and will discuss the issues further.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered Zuma to personally pay the costs for the construction of a visitor’s centre‚ amphitheatre‚ cattle kraal‚ chicken run and swimming pool at his private Nkandla residence in KwaZulu-Natal.

The court also condemned the “illegality” of Zuma’s conduct in failing to comply with the remedial action set out by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela in her 2014 report titled “Secure in Comfort”.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng‚ delivering the Constitutional Court’s unanimous judgment in the Nkandla case‚ said the president failed in his constitutional obligation when he failed to assist the public protector by complying with her report.

Zuma was not in the position to simply ignore Madonsela’s findings and should also not have decided to have the issue investigated by police minister Nathi Nhleko.

“[Zuma] did not challenge the [public protector’s] report through a judicial process. He appears to have been content with the apparent vindication of his position by the [Police] Minister’s favourable recommendations and considered himself to have been lawfully absolved of liability‚” Mogoeng said.

In reaction to the judgment‚ the DA leader Mmusi Maimane reopened his party’s efforts to impeach the president in Parliament and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema called for an early election‚ saying Zuma and the MPs who defended him had failed the electorate. The next general election is only scheduled for 2019.