President Jacob Zuma lived to fight another day after the National Assembly yesterday rejected a motion of no confidence in him brought by DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane.
All opposition parties except the IFP, AIC and APC supported the motion of no-confidence, but the ANC numbers ensured that Maimane’s motion was defeated by 221 votes to 113, with eight abstentions, after a comedy of errors caused by parliament’s electronic voting system breaking down.
It was an emotional and noisy debate, with insults flying freely and speaker Baleka Mbete again struggling to maintain order.
Maimane said Zuma was a thief, and withdrew it twice. EFF MP Primrose Sonti (the so-called Marikana Widow) said the same, refused to withdraw and had to leave the podium.
Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu called DA MP David Maynier a “lunatic” and did not withdraw it unconditionally, and Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald claimed ANC backbenchers were swearing at him.
Kicking off the debate, Maimane said nobody wanted South Africa to succeed as much as the DA did.
He claimed the ANC had become a party that placed the needs of one man above those who elected it.
“We cannot in good conscience allow the needs of millions of South Africans to be superseded by the agenda of one man, while we look on in silence,” said Maimane.
He again raised the 783 counts of corruption against Zuma that the National Prosecuting Authority dropped under contested circumstances.
According to Maimane, many ANC members would vote for Zuma against their conscience because it was not a secret vote, but South Africans would in due course choose the DA.
But Sisulu said Maimane was merely acting on the bidding of DA chief whip John Steenhuisen, a point reiterated by other ANC speakers.
“Mr Maimane is a desperate man trying to make a desperate party relevant. The psyche of the DA is a deep hatred of President Jacob Zuma,” claimed Sisulu.
Deputy minister of transport Sindi Chikunga said given the election results and the ANC landslide, it was actually a vote of no-confidence in the voters of South Africa that the DA was asking for.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said it was ridiculous to blame the current economic depression on Zuma as it was a global phenomenon.
On behalf of the EFF, Sonti raised the spectre of the Marikana massacre. She blamed Zuma for sending in the police to kill Marikana miners, but had to withdraw it.
EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi claimed that ministers and deputy ministers were simply singing for their supper by voting for Zuma.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said an amicable way had to be found for Zuma to leave.
Zuma survives no-confidence vote
All opposition parties except the IFP, AIC and APC supported the motion of no-confidence, but the ANC numbers ensured that Maimane’s motion was defeated by 221 votes to 113, with eight abstentions, after a comedy of errors caused by parliament’s electronic voting system breaking down.
It was an emotional and noisy debate, with insults flying freely and speaker Baleka Mbete again struggling to maintain order.
Maimane said Zuma was a thief, and withdrew it twice. EFF MP Primrose Sonti (the so-called Marikana Widow) said the same, refused to withdraw and had to leave the podium.
Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu called DA MP David Maynier a “lunatic” and did not withdraw it unconditionally, and Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald claimed ANC backbenchers were swearing at him.
Kicking off the debate, Maimane said nobody wanted South Africa to succeed as much as the DA did.
He claimed the ANC had become a party that placed the needs of one man above those who elected it.
“We cannot in good conscience allow the needs of millions of South Africans to be superseded by the agenda of one man, while we look on in silence,” said Maimane.
He again raised the 783 counts of corruption against Zuma that the National Prosecuting Authority dropped under contested circumstances.
According to Maimane, many ANC members would vote for Zuma against their conscience because it was not a secret vote, but South Africans would in due course choose the DA.
But Sisulu said Maimane was merely acting on the bidding of DA chief whip John Steenhuisen, a point reiterated by other ANC speakers.
“Mr Maimane is a desperate man trying to make a desperate party relevant. The psyche of the DA is a deep hatred of President Jacob Zuma,” claimed Sisulu.
Deputy minister of transport Sindi Chikunga said given the election results and the ANC landslide, it was actually a vote of no-confidence in the voters of South Africa that the DA was asking for.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said it was ridiculous to blame the current economic depression on Zuma as it was a global phenomenon.
On behalf of the EFF, Sonti raised the spectre of the Marikana massacre. She blamed Zuma for sending in the police to kill Marikana miners, but had to withdraw it.
EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi claimed that ministers and deputy ministers were simply singing for their supper by voting for Zuma.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said an amicable way had to be found for Zuma to leave.
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