The motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma‚ tabled by the DA last week looks set to fail after the ANC in Parliament made it clear that it would vote against it.
The National Assembly‚ which is in recess until the beginning of May‚ will hold a special sitting on April 18 to debate the motion. The DA tabled the motion following Zuma’s decision to fire finance minister Pravin Gordhan‚ and deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas‚ which sent the rand and markets into a tailspin.
“The ANC in Parliament will vote against the motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma by opposition parties scheduled for April 18 2017‚” the ANC chief whip’s spokesperson‚ Nonceba Mhlauli‚ said on Thursday.
She said ANC members in Parliament had been inundated with “mischievous calls‚ text messages and e-mails by faceless individuals and organisations lobbying us to disregard the party line and vote in accordance with our individual taste‚ as dictated by our conscience and lobby groups in the upcoming motion.”
“These calls are not only disingenuous‚ but also highly unfortunate as they seek to suggest that ANC MPs are free agents open to all sorts of mischievous lobbying and manipulation by the opposition and other forces. The very same opposition making these calls have always voted along party lines yet they expect ANC MPs not to be guided and directed by their political party‚” Mhlauli said.
“We reiterate that as ANC MPs‚ we derive our political mandate from the organisation. We will abide by the decision of the ANC national working committee as announced by ANC secretary-general comrade Gwede Mantashe‚ that the ANC does not and will not support this motion‚” said Mhlauli.
Mantashe said on Wednesday that the party would not back calls for Zuma’s removal.
Previous motions of no confidence brought by the opposition have been stifled by the ruling ANC‚ which enjoys a majority in Parliament with 249 of the 400 National Assembly seats.
In November‚ the ANC used its Parliamentary majority to quash the DA’s attempt have Zuma removed from office. The opposition party had brought the motion after former public protector Thuli Madonsela recommended that the President establish a commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture by the influential Gupta family.
Opposition parties have previously called for a secret ballot‚ a move they believe would allow ANC MPs to vote “freely“.
The rules of Parliament do not allow for a secret ballot. Mhlauli said the ANC will not support the call for a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence.
“The Constitution of the Republic is clear that a secret ballot in the House applies only in the process of electing the president‚ the speaker and the deputy speaker. There is no provision in the rules of the National Assembly for such a call. This call is therefore in violation of the laws of Parliament as an institution and the Constitution of the Republic of SA.”
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the ANC in Parliament has “clearly stated that it will continue to endorse Jacob Zuma’s disastrous presidency‚ which is marked by corruption‚ lawlessness and poor leadership“.
“They have drawn a line in the sand‚ with the ANC on one side and the people of South Africa fighting for jobs‚ economic growth and the Constitution on the other side.The ANC and Jacob Zuma are the same‚ and do not have the capacity to self-correct.” – TMG Digital
ANC rejects 'mischievous' calls lobbying MPs to support Zuma no confidence motion
The motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma‚ tabled by the DA last week looks set to fail after the ANC in Parliament made it clear that it would vote against it.
The National Assembly‚ which is in recess until the beginning of May‚ will hold a special sitting on April 18 to debate the motion. The DA tabled the motion following Zuma’s decision to fire finance minister Pravin Gordhan‚ and deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas‚ which sent the rand and markets into a tailspin.
“The ANC in Parliament will vote against the motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma by opposition parties scheduled for April 18 2017‚” the ANC chief whip’s spokesperson‚ Nonceba Mhlauli‚ said on Thursday.
She said ANC members in Parliament had been inundated with “mischievous calls‚ text messages and e-mails by faceless individuals and organisations lobbying us to disregard the party line and vote in accordance with our individual taste‚ as dictated by our conscience and lobby groups in the upcoming motion.”
“These calls are not only disingenuous‚ but also highly unfortunate as they seek to suggest that ANC MPs are free agents open to all sorts of mischievous lobbying and manipulation by the opposition and other forces. The very same opposition making these calls have always voted along party lines yet they expect ANC MPs not to be guided and directed by their political party‚” Mhlauli said.
“We reiterate that as ANC MPs‚ we derive our political mandate from the organisation. We will abide by the decision of the ANC national working committee as announced by ANC secretary-general comrade Gwede Mantashe‚ that the ANC does not and will not support this motion‚” said Mhlauli.
Mantashe said on Wednesday that the party would not back calls for Zuma’s removal.
Previous motions of no confidence brought by the opposition have been stifled by the ruling ANC‚ which enjoys a majority in Parliament with 249 of the 400 National Assembly seats.
In November‚ the ANC used its Parliamentary majority to quash the DA’s attempt have Zuma removed from office. The opposition party had brought the motion after former public protector Thuli Madonsela recommended that the President establish a commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture by the influential Gupta family.
Opposition parties have previously called for a secret ballot‚ a move they believe would allow ANC MPs to vote “freely“.
The rules of Parliament do not allow for a secret ballot. Mhlauli said the ANC will not support the call for a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence.
“The Constitution of the Republic is clear that a secret ballot in the House applies only in the process of electing the president‚ the speaker and the deputy speaker. There is no provision in the rules of the National Assembly for such a call. This call is therefore in violation of the laws of Parliament as an institution and the Constitution of the Republic of SA.”
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the ANC in Parliament has “clearly stated that it will continue to endorse Jacob Zuma’s disastrous presidency‚ which is marked by corruption‚ lawlessness and poor leadership“.
“They have drawn a line in the sand‚ with the ANC on one side and the people of South Africa fighting for jobs‚ economic growth and the Constitution on the other side.The ANC and Jacob Zuma are the same‚ and do not have the capacity to self-correct.” – TMG Digital
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