South African President Jacob Zuma launches his African National Congress's election manifesto on Saturday in Port Elizabeth, where the party risks losing an important local poll in August, Reuters reported. Losing power in Nelson Mandela Bay municipality would be doubly embarrassing for Zuma and his party since the area was a stronghold of the ANC's fight against apartheid and later named after its greatest liberation hero. The president has faced calls to resign from within the ANC since a court ruled this month that he breached the constitution by ignoring an order to repay some of the $16 million in state funds spent renovating his private home. Zuma survived an impeachment vote last week thanks to the ANC's big majority in the 400-seat national assembly and hopes to now put the scandal behind him. He is required by law to step down in 2019 after two five-year terms. An Ipsos poll late last year suggested a very tight race in Mandela Bay, with the ANC winning only 43 percent of the vote against 42 percent for the combined opposition parties and 15 percent of undecided voters.
