SA top court okays secret ballot in Zuma no-confidence vote

South Africa President Jacob Zuma. FILE PHOTO | MUJAHID SAFODIEN | AFP

South Africa's top court ruled on Thursday that the Speaker of Parliament can order a secret ballot for no-confidence motions, an outcome the opposition hopes would embolden ANC MPs to rebel and depose scandal-plagued President Jacob Zuma.

However, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng stopped short of ordering a secret ballot, saying it would be a violation of the separation of powers between the Constitutional Court and parliament.