ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma is a man with a title, but no power.

Yesterday, the ANC effectively stripped him of his powers making him the deputy president of the ruling party in name only.

He will not be able to campaign for the party in the coming local government elections, address its rallies or make any pronouncements in his capacity as deputy president.

Even his participation in any activity "as an ordinary member of the ANC will have to happen with approval and consultation with the leadership of the ANC", says ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe.

From a man who was on a high when he was reinstated to full party activities by the party's national general council in July after he was charged with corruption, Zuma's fortunes yesterday were at a nadir.

The ANC's decision to rein him in was apparently hastened by his intention to address an ANC Youth League (ANCYL) conference in Limpopo yesterday. When it became clear on Tuesday that the ANC's extended national working committee (NWC) wanted to redefine the terms of his self-imposed suspension, Zuma decided not to attend the youth league provincial congress "because of engagements in Durban".

Motlanthe said yesterday that the league was told of the decision.

The youth league, which has been one of Zuma's most vocal supporters, has been uncharacteristically silent since its hero appeared in court on a charge of rape and was released on R20 000 bail.

Repeated attempts to reach the league for official comment have been unsuccessful over the past two days.

Motlanthe told reporters that the ANC NWC's decision would be explained to the ANCYL "and all the structures of the democratic movement so that no organisation will seek to ask him to participate in any activity and seek to pronounce as deputy president of the ANC".

According to a national leader in the youth league Zuma's appearance in Limpopo could have whipped up emotions in the militant organisation. Their president Fikile Mbalula was expected to publicly react to the recent rape charges against Zuma.

The ANC's late night NWC crisis meeting, which was attended by every available member of the party national executive committee (NEC), overturned Zuma's decision to retain the deputy presidency and continue "with the general activities of the ANC".

He was not present at last night's meeting, but was informed of the decision yesterday morning.

He was told by Motlanthe that the position would remain a ceremonial one, as he could only be removed from office by a special conference.

"There is no organ of the ANC that has authority to appoint a national official, that's the prerogative of national conference and for that reason that would not happen," Motlanthe said.

"Following consultation with Zuma, the NWC understands this decision to mean that he will not act nor pronounce in the capacity of deputy president of the ANC for the duration of this trial," Motlanthe said.

This was with immediate effect. The crisis warrants another NEC meeting, to be convened before next Thursday, to convey this decision to all party structures, Motlanthe said.

However, the NWC decision would be non-negotiable and could not be overturned by other structures, he said.

"This extraordinary NEC will be convened ... to ensure all members of the NEC understand these decisions properly because they carry a responsibility of explaining them to the general ANC membership.

"That's why we have an extended NWC ... so there is no possibility whatsoever that these decisions could be overturned by the NEC."

Had it been a mere recommendation, the ANC would not have announced it publicly, Motlanthe told the Cape Times.

Given the intense debates in the last NEC and National General Council about Zuma's corruption case, the recent development may have sparked another ruction, albeit tempered by the moral issues raised by the rape charge.

Even Zuma's key allies, Cosatu and the SA Communist Party, appear to have backed off from their initial support.

Motlanthe said the ANC could only take disciplinary action against Zuma if he was convicted of a crime.

"... the ANC constitution ... states very clearly that if charges are to be preferred against any member that can only be done in a case like this once there is a conviction ..." Motlanthe said.

 With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare, Angela Quintal, Thokozani Mtshali and the Cape Times.