THERE appears to be no end in sight to the national debate about the effects of President Jacob Zuma's recent sexual indiscretion.

THERE appears to be no end in sight to the national debate about the effects of President Jacob Zuma's recent sexual indiscretion.

Now the Congress of the People (Cope) has announced it will pass a vote of no confidence in the president.

"President Jacob Zuma is not fit for office," Cope deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa said yesterday. "He has tarnished the image of the republic and brought the office of the presidency into disrepute.

"We call on him to resign. He has no moral standing to face the nation on Thursday.

"If the ANC fails to force him to resign, or he does not do so on his own accord, Cope will move for a motion of no confidence in Parliament," he said.

Shilowa said the party was more concerned about the reputation of the country than embarrassing the president. "We derive no pleasure from dealing with this matter. Ours is not about the humiliation of the president of the republic.

"In a country with the highest figures of the HIV-Aids pandemic the president has failed to heed his own government's call on fighting the pandemic."

Meanwhile, Cosatu has appealed to the nation to forgive Zuma.

It said it was disappointed by Shilowa's attack on Zuma.

"What is astonishing is that Shilowa has himself fathered two children . and only acknowledged (Nhlamulo's) existence after his paternity was proved."