Cyril Ramaphosa leaves parliament as Zuma's exit nears

Описание: (7 Feb 2018) South African President Jacob Zuma's exit from power because of scandals appeared to be getting closer on Wednesday, as his deputy, who is expected to replace him, held transition talks with the president.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged a lot of speculation about the status of the president, but said he and Zuma would finish their discussions and report in the coming days to the ruling African National Congress party and the population of one of Africa's biggest economies.
The announcement followed several disputed reports that reflected a growing mood of uncertainty over the protracted wait for a resolution to the country's leadership crisis.
Zuma's office described a social media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin was going to visit the country this week as "fake" news.
It also denied allegations by opponents that he was preparing to fire Ramaphosa.
Zuma has been embroiled in scandals for years, paying back some state money following multi-million-dollar upgrades to his private home, being criticized for his association with the Gupta business family accused of looting state enterprises and influencing Cabinet ministers for their own benefit, and now facing the possible reinstatement of corruption charges tied to an arms deal two decades ago.
Zuma and the Guptas deny any wrongdoing.
Zuma's second five-year term is scheduled to end with elections in 2019, but many ruling party members want Ramaphosa to take over as soon as possible so that the party can try to recover the trust of voters alienated by the president's scandals.

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