Date for vote of no confidence in Zuma shifted out

The upcoming motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will now take place a few days later after speaker Baleka Mbete announced that there was a scheduling conflict.

It will now take place on August 8.

It was originally meant to take place on August 3, but a Cabinet Lekgotla had already been set for that week.

Political parties will still have until 14 July to submit their views on whether the vote should happen in secret. Mbete will then decide on how the vote should be conducted.

The DA, United Democratic Movement and Economic Freedom Fighters have also asked for the scheduling of the motion and also motivated for a secret ballot.

Recently, the Constitutional Court ruled that the speaker’s discretion should determine whether the vote on the motion be through secret ballot or openly.

The ConCourt application was submitted by the UDM and supported by several other opposition parties.

The ConCourt application for a secret vote was aimed at giving ANC MPs the chance to vote secretly, so that they would be able to vote with their conscience.

But the ruling party has already threatened its parliamentarians with “consequence” should they vote with the opposition.

Mbete said this week that in terms of Rule 129 of the National Assembly, once the motion was requested, she must accord such motion due priority.

Somewhat curiously, Mbete, before scheduling the motion for debate, said she must first consult with the leader of government business, Cyril Ramaphosa, and the chief whip of the majority ANC, Jackson Mthembu. They are both known Zuma opponents.

Ultimately, as the speaker, the decision rests entirely with her, as made clear by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng last month.