the russian even of what free speech is supposed to be about the context it's hugely important they have a right to publish it you have a duty to be offensive or provocative or whatever nice people do. in this stage serious debate. up front at this time on al-jazeera. this is the opportunity to understand a very different way where there are people who don't believe. hello i'm joined a hole in london the top stories on al-jazeera some breaking news zimbabwe's opposition leader morgan tsvangirai has died the movement for democratic change parties vice president says he died in south africa after a long battle with cancer in one nine hundred ninety nine chiang rai then a trade union leader formed the opposition party in the years that followed the

organized protests to try and force robert mugabe out of office. how do i believe in the zimbabwean capital harare and joins us now live. morgan tsvangirai was prime minister of zimbabwe from two thousand and nine to two thousand and thirteen in a national union government with robert mugabe but he'd also been robert mugabe's fiercest challenger how's the news of his death likely to be received in zimbabwe. well some of the local radio stations are now announcing that he is one of the three vice presidents of the party. i think a tweet saying that morgan hunger had passed away so we actually can focus on being on social media people calling in mostly enjoy the cowling figure he'd be a challenge for god but he's not the former president he was each in many times he was accused of treason he was arrested and people say that even though he had his

faults which he did he said you must be remembered as a man who tried to unite the country once the data's involved way and the biggest thing they credit control is many people try to keep up more government people tried to speak out of it got a bit more time than i keep at it and we came so close in the two thousand and eight election when he narrowly became god in the first round but not enough to avoid a runoff and then his supporters were beaten pertaining to the election runnels he didn't pull out of that election say we can't participate in a flawed system so he called out and then after that offering to negotiation he then became prime minister who got there was kind of the president so a lot of people responding now say they're going to miss him is still shocked obviously and they're waiting for more news more assistance from the family and more senior members of the party. he did as you outlined there reach well near the panic

a live power as close as one could possibly get him to robert mugabe as prime minister for four years what can be said now of his legacy in leadership what was he able to achieve during that time. a lot of people say he brought some sense of stability when he was in the unity government because when he joined into government. do we have you heard you may have gone quiet. not because we've lost two possibly but possibly i think we have i think we have lost our room and so we hope to get back on the line from the zimbabwean capital harare in a short while in the meantime we do have a report about morgan trying to rise above his opposition leader who has died at the age of sixty five after a battle with colon cancer in fact with a report. to his supporters more goodrich's

tunket i was a man who challenge some of his long time leader robert mugabe at a time when few people day to do so but it was a long and sometimes painful journey in one thousand nine hundred nineteen good i've been a trade union leader for the opposition party the movement for democratic change in the years that followed he organized protests to try and force mugabe out of office he was beaten while in police custody charged with treason jailed several times and labeled a traitor by mugabe supporters. in the two thousand and eight presidential election he won the most votes but not enough to win outright. before a second round took place his supporters were targeted in a campaign of violence the opposition leader put out of the presidential race in protest regional leaders and the international community intervened after months of negotiations that i was sworn in as prime minister in two thousand and nine it was a temporary power sharing government but mugabe was still the president. will be

remembered fundamentally in the sense that. some of the interview got this bill got huge huge intro doesn't it when we got there for the first term in the history of this did last. the first president. in almost the majority overall of of the diligence in that is we've been done since then to doing. that. for years later another elections took place this time in d.c. party lost by a huge margin his critics said he had ignored the plight of the poor and got caught up in the trappings of wealth and power allegations of party infighting and corruption also tarnished his image some of his closest allies left accusing him of being a dictator. but in twenty seventeen the m.d.c. alliance was formed those who had less hunger returned for me a coalition to challenge and grab at the polls. they were occasional

anti-government protests zimbabwe's economy was on its knees there was a shortage of foreign currency and the government couldn't pay salaries on time the military intervened in a van by twenty seventeen and put mugabe at the house arrest and zimbabweans from all political parties marched together in solidarity saying mugabe must stick down eventually mcgarvey resigned and emerson when i was sworn in as president. despite having cancer tank i supporters insisted he was a. the candidates for the twenty eight thousand elections they were confident he could defeat at the polls but he never got that chance opposition supporters states that i would be remembered as a brave man a charismatic public speaker and a symbol of resistance. while we managed to restore our connection with her in harare the end of your report there described him as a brave man and a pillar of the resistance as indeed i'm sure he will be remembered

a man who was beaten up for his troubles who came achingly close to winning three elections really did rise to the office of prime minister as the garbage is in a national unity government with robert mugabe i was asking you. what he was able to achieve in four years as prime minister what in other words will his legacy in power be in zimbabwe. when you speak to most of the supporters what they remember about those four years is that they felt there was a state of stability they were food shortages fuel shortages there was a lot of violence because of those elections and instead when he was forced to form this unity government with robert mugabe the former president it was something of stability food was not back on the shelves there were no more fuel. the u.s. dollar was now being used and they felt that perhaps maybe having him in the getting to government help stabilize things help international community season bob in

a slightly different light willing to engage somewhat with this unity government his critics of course have said that over the years he clung onto power he refused to leave the leadership of the opposition the m.d.c. party and that resulted in some but people criticize him for that but i think the main thing they remember now is that right in that package his bravery i remember one time when he had the final push march which was his way of trying to push her out of the garbage out of power and he was on the street leading this march and he was arrested he was badly beaten locked up for a couple of days when people first saw him since the arrest was badly badly beaten but he still carried on he still carried on despite everything he went through and also remember that a few years ago before he became sick he was approachable people could go to his house his supporters was that outside of gates he for them to come and talk to them they said he was their late old man and there's a youth sense of loss for his supporters people who say they remember him for all

the good things he did he made mistakes everyone does but they're saying for now it's about remembering him remembering his legacy and of course wondering with this takes the opposition m.d.c. party which is divided now on fastener alliance and infighting s. of the leaders they are trying to just to take over from morgan tsvangirai what i wanted to take it on as you say. to what to what has transpired in zimbabwe now things of course and. moved on morgan tsvangirai lived to see the end of robert mugabe in power he lived to see. take his place as the new president also zanu p.f. man who stood beside mugabe for all of his thirty eight years in power and there will be elections were promised by july what happens to the opposition in zimbabwe now the party that you've just described of morgan chang or i bitterly divided is there any credible opposition to emerson and zanu p.f.

in the elections to come. that's going to be one big thing to watch how quickly can they do knight and form a united front to challenge the rulings on a party and create an image than mega westmead happening these last few weeks some supporters of the state is very very sad while he was in hospital there were unconfirmed reports that some family members weren't allowed to see him some people in the party weren't allowed to see him there were unconfirmed reports that people were claiming that he was saying certain things about who should take over then it was revealed that he wasn't and the big problem now is he appointed to be vice president took was on a coup pay nelson chamisa an injury and or three of them the past few weeks have been literally fighting each other over who takes over from him someone not talking jobs anymore that have been banned from the party headquarters so the big question now is is this party going to unite to form a credible force to challenge him a cent when i got well in terms of

a big enough challenge now in the country we have many opposition parties some say even more than uncertainty but he will listen that was the only man who had so much support among of the nation supporters that has gone will the party members be able to keep up that support rally people to support the m.d.c. it is still the main opposition party because if i think they could split again which could weaken the party so a lot of things up in the air right now and i think people be watching the party closely depending a big meeting tomorrow on thursday in her eye to eye with the more things will be clarified and they maybe give some indication of how they plan tonight and who will take over from congress. hiero thanks so much lots of valuable insight from her. in the zimbabwean capital harare and i think we can swing you over now to pretoria in south africa where i think you're able to see a live picture are you yes you're able to see now

a live picture of an empty podium and a stage and a number of expectant looking journalists there waiting for a press conference to be given by jacob zuma the president of south africa in the hours now counting down to what's been promised a no confidence vote in parliament on thursday unless he comes out and he needs the call from his own party the ruling african national congress to resign to step aside from power we're waiting to bring you that press conference jacob zuma speaking from the union buildings in pretoria as and when it happens and meanwhile we know of course that jacob zuma has broken his silence over the growing calls for him to resign in a forty five minute television interview zuma described the instruction from his party the african national congress to step aside as unfair because he said he's done nothing wrong been given an ultimatum by the a.n.c. to resign by the end of the day as i said or face of vote of no confidence the

first time i have the feeling that the leadership is unfair is not even helping me to understand what is it that is so critical is that they knew months does go you must have got a problem with that the a.n.c. does not like that. that i have been in all the time and they want the fame and not defend i have said no i don't agree i don't agree with the decision. farmer the village oren's us live from algiers bureau in johannesburg farmer the tourists are difficult of course of the best of times to predict the sort of mercurial movements of jacob zuma but what do you read into the fact that he's that he's giving this statement that he's doing it at the union buildings in pretoria

farmer the farmer there are you hearing us farmer in our bureau in johannesburg we're hoping to talk to family miller but that link seems to have gone down we'll try and resume that in the meantime and we're back again with the podium shot as the sound technician there test the microphone as i remind you we await a press conference from jacob zuma south africa's president as he faces a possible vote of no parliament confidence in parliament on thursday unless as his ruling party the a.n.c. has told him to unless he resigns beforehand we'll bring that to you just as soon as it happens. and we'll go back now to our top story of the hour the death of morgan chang. opposition leader the former head of the movement for democratic change we've got lance guma on the line with us on skype pieces in darwin radio station journalist here in the u.k. in corby lawrence guma are you able to hear us it's like

a new great thanks so much for joining us well we've been listening to our correspondent in zimbabwe giving us what's of insight on the life of morgan chandler i do you think that his death is a significant blow to the political scene in zimbabwe. or yes most definitely we're looking at a new look since we've been that nukes for months for the op with this it now it has lined up another kind and read you find someone you know trying to build their profile within the country within a thirty four months it's going to be a mom what. i mean the even though it's the view that there. are you dying and these and i couldn't them but the pro-democracy movement in the about where it . is is that's the law but the opposition and yet morgan

tangere i had been out of the public eye for quite a long time battling colon cancer he'd been ill for a long time he was clearly physically much reduced surely they weren't placing all their hopes the opposition in zimbabwe on mr chang or i had they not made preparations to fight this election to contest. the zanu p.f. strong hold on government without a chiang rai in place. i i think to be fierce to try and get i. some years ago you made a controversial decision to up weight except to vice president but that was in part your right now is the vice president and a lot of people not understand his thinking at that time but you've been listening to police and you was that unqualified and i think a lot of people thought that in that quantity that you was partly knowledge.

and the vice president given different beliefs so i think he knew that he was not going to be able to take part in these elections and in no way was my to. take over but you know the this is a bit more confusion because it appears that the vice president now does the part but i think i think in you and the people who are close to him knew that you know he he he was inevitably there was going to be sitting down is it fair to say do you think that given the change of power between robert mugabe and emerson managua and the role that the military played in that transition that. opinion has begun to shift quite considerably among ordinary zimbabweans whilst opposition was growing to mcgarvie now there is growing support for emerson non-god growing hope for what

he may do to revive the economy for what he may do in the international i as far as investors are concerned and therefore the m.d.c. as a force has become much reduced in any case. i think the problem that we've created by the opposition is that it's not it's you that they've pursued was more got they must go i thought when you had the military cool last year and we got there was the move by that maybe i think the hope of this in terms of minority was getting our arms because we got the must go or we're going to want but then walk next i think they missed the problem they were is i think this the fact that the message to food at the system because the same system that keep that in power is the same system that is in power for right now but in terms of good move for was not going to go up i don't think that can be discounted you know that that is if it

is all it is inevitable. well will benefit from that they would real people what does that what change then bob when they get tired of being sick and tired and i think they the thinking is that anyone apart from that it will do and i think the number is the least been a big thing from that but the morgan sunday night. just add to that neither the problem the op with since they have been missed the problem that they go in now that this is the person who was this i mean it wouldn't be exaggerating to see him get i was actually the guy that the m.d.c. and that is the biggest problem that they have not the gate not how do you think that is placement and get them to the level that that i was at ok lance come up many thanks for your time there isn't bob when john is based here in

the u.k. speak to us on skype. and back to that empty podium shot it's gripping television you have to admit we're waiting. for a statement or a press conference given by south african president jacob zuma promised to us twenty minutes ago he's late we will bring that to you as soon as he arrives a statement he's expected to give in the hours really left to him before a no confidence vote as promised in parliament on thursday at which he is expected to be removed by parliament and constitution forced to step down unless his party has said to him the a.n.c. unless he resigns before hand and from it or millar is standing by for us in our bureau in johannesburg from other we've heard an unhappy half hour of technical breakdowns i hope we'll manage to stick with you this time what do you make of the decision by mr zuma to make this statement tonight from the union buildings in

pretoria. this certainly a.o.r. country sitting back hopeful that this is a president that is going to do what they consider to be the responsible thing responding to the african national congress is a decision that he should be recalled and to bring that into effect he would then need to resign the a.n.c. has said if it doesn't do that as you mentioned they would then take this to parliament to push him out jacob zuma has become a liability for the african national congress we know that he has been embroiled in scandal after scandal there's been a lot of criticism against the president around his relationship with the business associates to a city to have influenced his decision in government to the extent of appointing ministers that suit their agenda we don't know what exactly president jacob zuma is going to say in the next few minutes when he does enter that room to address south

africans earlier today he did say that we heard how unhappy he was with the decision by the a.n.c. he said that decision was unfair and that the a.n.c. hadn't followed traditional policy and that had come out so soon after december's elect of conference where still ramapo was a was elected the new president of the party that come out so soon after that and what urgently pushing him out of the door he says he doesn't understand that and that the a.n.c. hasn't given in clear reasons as to why he should resign we are waiting for him to address the country any time from now and as i had mentioned previously get cabs zuma is an unpredictable figure and no one knows what might happen next if he'll choose to resign if you'll stand firm or perhaps say he could approach the courts to challenge this recall by the african national congress. some of the with all

this building pressure around jacob zuma the last thing he needs perhaps is to be reminded of his potential legal difficulties but during the course of the day on wednesday the been some pretty significant raids of a home in johannesburg belonging to some very important associates of his tell us more rather five people were arrested we understand that what leads to one member of the group their family was taken in for questioning and also a rest made in the free state province now that's where the government had set up a a dairy farm project that was meant to benefit farmers and millions of dollars were pumped into that project of state money but it was then five and off through two gupta linked companies even companies that have to design e izumi as a shareholder and these investigations that have gone on since then have uncovered

that of this money was then used by the gupta family for their own personal interest including the lavish wedding they threw in twenty thirteen now what's also interesting is. what potentially could come out of these investigations and who could be involved in this is why we might have seen the agency in a position where they had a tough time deciding exactly how to act now at the time when this dairy farm project with it up a smuggler who's today be thirty general of the african national congress one of the top think leadership he was premier of the three thousand province we know that his offices were raided earlier this year so this does spell trouble for jacob zuma the group does and any other official or agency official specifically that may have been involved in these activities certainly those who were implicated at some point ok from of the miller we're going to leave it there with you for the moment we'll

come back to you after we've heard from jacob zuma in pretoria and more breaking news this hour reports coming in of a shooting at a high school in the u.s. state of florida those are live pictures you're looking at now police pickup truck it looks like outside the entrance to the school also other police vehicles and armed police surrounding the school a little earlier on we saw pictures of pupils being led out of the school building the sheriff's department says they're responding to reports of an active gunman in the town of parkland marjorie stoneman douglas high school is what it's called has been placed on a code red lockdown local television reporting that at least five people were seen being treated by paramedics that's all the detail we have for you on this shooting it's an ongoing situation will update you as we get more information on it. and we'll move on now to syria where an aid convoy has reached eastern ghouta it's

the first time a convoy has made it there since last november in the damascus suburbs one of the last rebel held areas in the country and it's been under siege since two thousand and thirteen the aid delivery will provide food and medical supplies to seven thousand people there are about four hundred thousand civilians living in eastern guta where the u.n. special envoy for syria has been briefing the security council on the current situation in the country and his update was a grim one stuff under mr a said the violence is the worst he's seen i've been out for years especially in boy this is as violent m boring in danger with a moment as any that they've seen in my time of day in your full far therefore i throng lee rate the rate the appeal of the thick the general to all concerned in syria and the region and beyond that to this girl eat immediately and

unconditionally and urge all of the calders including death then i go around to use their influence to help reduce violence our diplomatic editor james bays is following developments for us at the un headquarters in new york. this was a security council meeting that was supposed to talk about the political process but was dominated by the grim military situation the ongoing onslaught of east and globe where the special envoy said that civilians were being killed in a horrifying way in fact he said over a thousand in the first week of february alone of course we have the turkish offensive around our freend we have recent developments like the u.s. air strike on assad troops near dear resort and we also have the involvement of the israelis taking out targets in syria including iranian targets more and

more countries and nations involved in a spiraling military situation more than thirty billion dollars has been pledged to help rebuild iraq following the defeat of i still more than seventy six countries promised donations of the summit in kuwait but mainly in the form of loans which will need to be repaid and the money falls well short of what iraq's government says it needs sam is a down as more from kuwait city. iraqi officials say it's a case of a glass half full yes they didn't get the full amount they need for reconstruction they didn't get that one hundred billion dollars that the iraqi prime minister said the complete reconstruction of his country would cost about thirty billion dollars which the foreign minister of iraq said in today's world is not a small amount of money i've been speaking with the head of the iraq reconstruction fund and he said frankly we got more than we thought we would out of this conference this thirty billion dollars going to the private sector government for

investment is going to be like revolving also gives the money back after a few years we don't expect that you are going to spend all this money in a day and then marry. within ten years in fact the plan for a close election the framework for at least close election and difficult moment is stand forth until two thousand and twenty eight there were very strong words of come graduations from the u.n. secretary general there saying it was an indorsement an impressive indorsement from part of the world in the economic reforms that have been made in changes made in iraq was also a word of encouragement to from a regional director of the world bank saying he would encourage the private sector to come forth and invest in iraq some key questions remain though with all this money pledged to actually materialize we've seen in the past pledges made in two thousand and three adding up to thirty three billion dollars in

a madrid donor's conference but a year later only a fraction of that had actually materialized and there is the challenge of making sure conditions stay secure and stable enough in all the parts of iraq that really need reconstructing so that money can be spent. guatemala's former president has made a brief appearance in court after being arrested as part of a local corruption investigation. and eight of his former ministers including the current chairman of oxfam international currently involved of course in a sex abuse scandal were detained by police on tuesday the special prosecutor says the men face charges of fraud and embezzlement related to the questionable purchases of public buses for guatemala city government is said to have auctioned off twenty five year concessions for bus routes with the private companies that won the contracts are exempted from taxes. a reminder

now of our main stories of the busy it's been more breaking news with reports coming in of a shooting at a high school in the u.s. state of florida you're looking at live pictures as we get them in there showing police armed police a pickup truck other armed vehicles surrounding the school we've seen pictures of pupils being led out in single file the sheriff's department says they're responding to reports of an active gunman in the town of parkland the marjorie stoneman douglas high school had been placed on a code red lockdown as you can see there are as i said armed personnel on the scene children have been escorted with their hands on their heads from the premises. and we'll bring you more on that as we get it some more breaking news zimbabwe's opposition leader morgan tsvangirai as died the movement for democratic change party's vice president says he died in south africa after a long battle with cancer in one thousand nine hundred ninety ninety nine then the trade union leader of the opposition party in the years that followed the organized

protests of try and force robert bogar be out of office and finally the other big event we've been waiting for and flagging up for you throughout the half hour an empty podium you're looking at there south africa's embattled president jacob zuma expected to be at the podium shortly he's expected to speak just hours before a deadline to step down earlier in a forty five minute television interview zuma described the instruction from his party of the african national congress to step aside as unfair because he said he's done nothing wrong or zuma has been given an ultimatum by the a.n.c. to resign by the end of the day or face a vote of no confidence to stay with us back in half an hour.

join us for a live event south africa's president jacob zuma is up the podium in pretoria about

to address the media and his country. thank you very much dr good evening ladies and gentlemen i have to look serious you can't even say good evening . but suddenly. you are tired why we are with keen. but it would give any. leaks members of the media present here sort of stuff we can. i had just two of weeks of speculation about my future as president of the republic of south africa

in particular i make reference to the march publicized and i waited to season of the african national congress issue done to fit in for body. twenty eighteen it is now public knowledge that to the national executive committee of the a n c this is all of it to record me as the president of the republic. i have also lend that before i respond to the initial decision a huge decision has been made by the a.n.c. . with the fact is that i have now been

compared to to resign by way of a motion of no confidence set down for tomorrow fifteen for bloody twenty eighty. the a.n.c. is indeed the party of foods the nomination. on whose nomination i became a candidate for the presidency of the republic of south africa after its victory of the national elections of twenty four teen it was on the agency's nomination that i was late elected by the majority in the national assembly as

the president of the republic. i am for ever indebted to the a n c the liberation movement halves of. almost all my life i respect each member and leader of this glorious movement that is spect its gallant fight against. same to these awful white minority brutality whose. legs remain today and continue to be unchanged in order in all manner of sophisticated ways

in order to ensure the continued survival of white privilege i do take seriously. and am played for to the a in c. that in the face of its revolutionary admission to ensure a pet alive for all and the creation of a nonracial nonsexist and democratic south africa it deployed to me that did the panicle of is the road in government. i was also elected in terms of said in eighty six of the constitution and from that moment pledged to my

loyalty to the constitution of the republic of south africa. it has indeed been at a late learning experience a mom with tusks. the performance off which can never be done without difficulty and learning on the way none of us no matter how perfect can claim that the. society and the musher living off a formally but i should movement into a more didn't political party all happen in a straight line it has detours

human era and. bold does strewn along the path because this struggle and politics i human activities they are pursued is not without detains of human nature all my life. of it and will continue to save the a.n.c. in its pursuit of the objectives of the national democratic revolution. i have served. in my capacity as president of the republic of south africa within the prism of our my claimed

constitution whose is foundational values are fully subscribed to. i understand fully that quietly i serve. at the pleasure of my party the a.n.c. the dog through week church i or fee shelly came to say of the people of south africa. iis the national assembly. without which no political party can impose the candidate on their lead to eight no much. how popular.

this constitutional line between party and state is often forgotten in the usual business of party political contestation. as we find our own petals in the corner doors of political power and sometimes serving the very interests of the. oppressors of yesterday who joyfully celebrate as we lynch one another we often forget the citizens or whose behalf we create a better life. we tended to

place the political party a bar of the supremum law of the country which eases the rule book of the country's political engagement i do not to make this reference because of that approach nor do i wish to proclaim that in understanding my political responsibilities i have been the tone of perfection if truth be told none of us are however i respect the clips of. the constitution and its consequences on how we.

stay stay in and exit to political office and government there has been much speculation about how the president of the public should exit his or her office in my case some have even dead to suggest that one specs and post service benefits should determine how one chooses to vote kate political office often these concerns about pacs and benefits are raised

by the very same people seeking to see speak as part of cons of very true and all things constitutional some even suggest that the relevant constitutional provisions section eighty nine and one hundred and two in terms of which the president should be removed from office would constitute an embarrassment or humiliation for that reason various suggestions are made to help leaders avoid this constitutional route of political office without pacs if

we have a ourselves to say in tens of the constitution. we should be prepared if indeed this if indeed b. end if those we save deem it appropriate to suffer. the hardship that comes with our constitutional obligations whether we lose our posts political office benefits should not determine how we act in the time of departure not did i agree to serve because they are no

better does in the a.n.c. and of the country most importantly i did not have glee to serve in order to exit with packs and benefits of the office of the president it is my party that place to meet before that representatives of the people in the national assembly to be elected it is my party that are vague to me to serve on the basis of that constitution as the supreme law of the land make no mistake no

leader should stay beyond the time determined by the people they said most importantly no leader should seek an easy way out simply because they could not face life added the end of their term without it the packs. dot com with their political office. i do not fear exiting political office however i have only asked my party to articulate to my transactions trans collections and phillis in for its

immediate instruction that kate of. this was important in view of the discussions i do with the president of the in c. and the secretary general of the party that do it aimed at uniting our organization the a.n.c. it is indeed true that there was and that commitment that even if the need arises that i should vote kate the office before the end of ten they ease a need to have a period of transition during which i would delegate some of the functions to the deputy president of the republic.

of cause i must accept that if my party and my compatibles wishes that i've been removed from office they must exercise that right and do so in the manner prescribe by the constitution i fear no motion of no confidence or impeachment. for they are the low for mckenna zinn's for the people of this beautiful country to remove their president.

i've served the people of south africa to the best of my ability. ever played for that did they trusted me with their highest office in the lead but when i accepted the deployment i understood. and undertook to subject myself to the supremum law of the land the constitution. the tundra. show good t. was in law god will love pour a bun to buy good tea kaurna.

carlow with them or go oh goodness. well you can listening there to jacob zuma the president of south africa addressing the media and his country from the union buildings in pretoria an expectant nation waiting and listening perhaps for news that he decided to resign ahead of a vote of no confidence planned for parliament tomorrow on thursday after his party the a.n.c. instructed him to vacate office i think the key line coming out of that is this if my party and my compatriots jacob zuma wish me to vacate i must do so in the manner prescribed by the constitution i do not fear a motion of no confidence he said all impeachment for they are the mechanisms for the people of this country to remove its leader in other words jacob zuma not

taking the decision to fall on his sword ahead of a vote of no confidence in parliament he will indeed. rely on the constitutional means and wait for that vote on thursday let me bring in. from of the middle east been listening to that for us from our bureau in johannesburg what did you make of all that. you know there were times listening to jacob zuma the evening and trying to sort of. unite what he said with what he said earlier in the afternoon when he spoke about not understanding why the a.n.c. had a wanted to recall him and then being quite defiant that this wouldn't be the case and i think we're continuing to see that sort of tone from the president even when speaking about his imperfections he has said that he's not perfect of but no one is so there isn't this

a sara lee and acknowledgement of of why he's been criticized what do these allegations of corruption against him could mean why this is so serious and why the african national congress finds itself in the position that it does he you know he has also spoken about his relationship with the a.n.c. a party that is the loyal to that he served from a young age and that it is a position that he's been grateful to be into service south africans the a.n.c. is very much wanted a dignified exit for jacob zuma but we've seen him resist the so call for him to step down and we know that if he doesn't he'll he'll be facing a vote of no confidence in parliament or possibly an impeachment and he also spoke about not taking this position not joining the party for positions or for benefits that would follow once he's no longer in office clearly saying that he doesn't care about these things and it really is the position and the duty that he's undertaken

that does matter to him he has said he'll continue to serve the a.n.c. and richest waiting to hear more from the president but at this point he's looking like he's still not in great in agreement with what the a.n.c. is saying. he's clearly not. giving in to their line is a form of the he's told them that he wants to know what his transgressions are. which resulted in a decision let's listen in because he's still speaking deputy ministers and the whole of government national provincial and local for the positive spirit and corporative manner in which we all wept. i also thank the other the arms of state for the way.

we have accomplished i thank all the political parties who are in parliament for their contributions in making our democracy strong i thank all stakeholders business labor elite justice league does traditional leaders use women and groups the education sector and all the others we have worked with over the years united ted by the goal of moving south africa for i think the international community for the cooperation. in the work we've been doing to get.

i've also been disturbed by the instances of violence that evoke head because of the different views among members of our organization outside our headquarters the to the house. nor live should be lost in my name and also the a.n.c. should never be divided in my name. i have therefore come to the decision to resign as president of the republic with immediate effect. even though i disagree with the decision of my of the leadership of my

organization i have always been a disciplined member of the sea as i leave i would continue to serve the people of south africa as well as the a n c the organization. of my all of my life in it i would dedicate all of my energy to wed to wides that taim and all of the policies. in particular that logic of the economy transformation agenda turn to men ladies and gentlemen i thank you very much for the tension

gabble gabble. by a donkey. that you. well you were listening to a momentous moment for south africa jacob zuma announcing to the country to the press corps gathered at the union buildings there in pretoria that he will in fact resign with immediate effect he thanked his ministers the party and the international community for all that they have worked towards and achieved. he said that he would resign even though he disagreed with the decision of the party the ruling party his party the a.n.c. that he said he'd serve all his life their decision to ask him to vacate the

office of president he was to have faced a vote of no confidence in parliament tomorrow unless he resigned tonight well jacob zuma in just the last few moments there has resigned with immediate effect welcome to al-jazeera this is the news hour from london and of course our top story tonight jacob zuma the president of south africa as just in the last few moments resigned with immediate effect he said he would do so even though he disagrees with his own party the end.