After being roped in to persuade President Cyril Ramaphosa to backtrack on his decision to resign, his staunchest ally in the Eastern Cape has labelled calls for him to quit nothing more than tantrums.

ANC Eastern Cape provincial chair and premier Oscar Mabuyane said Ramaphosa’s detractors were trying to use the findings of the Section 89 panel to “muzzle out” members from taking part in the national elective conference later this month...