Former president Jacob Zuma summoned African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee (NEC) members supportive of him to his Nkandla homestead on Saturday, and instructed them to get behind a campaign to have Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma elected as the next ANC president. 

News24 has been reliably informed that Zuma told the delegation led by suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule that Dlamini-Zuma was his preferred candidate and that he believed there was no need to be "defocused". 

"He brought the proposal of those who are known to be supporting him to support NDZ, and he motivated that they needed to be consistent, and there was no need to change the candidate [contesting Ramaphosa]. He said they couldn't be defocused and consider other candidates to challenge Ramaphosa," a well-placed source told News24.

The meeting was said to have been attended by NEC members openly loyal to Zuma and included Dakota Legoete, Supra Mahumapelo and Tony Yengeni.

Dlamini-Zuma lost against Ramaphosa five years ago at the ANC's 2017 elective conference. 

Two well-placed sources said Zuma had expressed that he believed there was a strong chance for Ramaphosa to be removed as ANC president given the allegations he faces around business dealings related to his Phala Phala farm. The meeting is said to have been a precursor to a bigger one in Nkandla planned for Thursday among Zuma’s allies in the ANC. 

A final strategy to unseat Ramaphosa is expected to be finalised at this meeting. 

The push by Zuma for his supporters to campaign for Dlamini-Zuma comes after she confirmed that she would accept nomination for the presidency of the ANC. 

A source with intimate knowledge of the meeting said the NEC leaders at the meeting gave Zuma feedback about efforts to oppose Ramaphosa, and that party structures were considering three candidates to go up against him - Zweli Mkhize, Dlamini-Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu. 

"He expressed his wish (that Dlamini-Zuma be supported) and gave guidance on how the campaign must go, but they said to him that they have to see what branches and regions are saying and report back to him," the source said.

News24 understands that Zuma was told that his wish would be communicated to party structures, but "on the assumption that ANC branches and regions will decide who should be the candidate". 

Dlamini-Zuma's bid to contest Ramaphosa was seen as a blow to Mkhize, who had worked in earnest to secure the nomination from the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal for the position. 

"By the end of the week, we have to decide on one name (to go up against Ramaphosa). We cannot have all three contesting and tearing the support base apart. None of them will stand a chance if that happens," the second high-level source said. 

Ramaphosa's bid for a second term is being supported by the ANC in Limpopo, North West, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. 

ANC branches are expected to begin nominating leaders for the December conference this week.