President Zuma no-confidence motion set for August 3
Saturday July 01 2017
South African President Jacob Zuma gestures as he delivers the State Of the Nation Addresson February 9, 2017, at the Parliament in Cape Town. PHOTO | AFP
South Africa's Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete, has set August 3 as the date for the debate on the motion of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
However, Ms Mbete said she is mulling whether to order a secret ballot for the motion after the Constitutional Court ruled last week that she it was at her discretion.
Opposition parties – the Democratic Alliance‚ the United Democratic Movement and the Economic Freedom Fighters – had requested that the debate be rescheduled at the earliest following the court ruling.
The no-confidence motion, initial set for April, was postponed by the Speaker after the parties’ request to wait on the outcome of the court’s decision.
Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, said Ms Mbete has invited interested parties to submit views on the preferred means of voting on the motion.
"The views of the parties, considered together with a host of other factors‚ including the prevailing conditions‚ would assist the Speaker to arrive at a well-informed and logical decision," Mr Mothapo said in a statement Friday. The views are to made to Ms Mbete before July 14, Mr Mothapo added.
The August 3 date means that the National Assembly will sit earlier than scheduled.
"This decision has taken into account that some committees of the Assembly are currently undertaking oversight visits and Parliament has set aside July for constituency work," he said.
President Zuma will be facing his fifth no-confidence motion since coming to power eight years ago. He has survived the previous four due to strong backing by his party African National Congress MPs, who form a majority.