Two senior party sources of ANC have disclosed to Reuters that South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, is considering offering to step down next year, at least 12 months before his term as South African president ends, under a deal with opponents in his ruling party that would see Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan leave office now.

According to the sources, Zuma is due to be replaced as party leader at an African National Congress (ANC) party conference in December after serving his allocated two terms but is expected to remain the country’s president until elections in 2019.

The ANC is currently divided and the division got worse this week after Zuma ordered Gordhan to return from an investor roadshow in Britain, raising expectations of a cabinet reshuffle that markets fear will include Gordhan’s removal. Gordhan is viewed favorably by investors and the rand fell sharply when he was ordered home.

Some senior members of the ANC are pushing for Zuma’s departure now, applying pressure on him to find a compromise.

“He must just go. We don’t need his ‘offers’. He must just go before destroying our country,” one senior ANC member, who had not heard of Zuma discussing stepping down, told Reuters.

Read more at Reuters.