Emsie Ferreira
President Jacob Zuma will on Thursday face his fifth motion of no confidence since 2012 after Speaker Baleke Mbete agreed to a debate called for by the Democratic Alliance.
“I wish to inform you that the motion is scheduled for 10 November 2016,” her office confirmed in a letter to DA chief whip John Steenhuisen on Tuesday.
The debate will take place a week after the release of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report “State of Capture” in which she found that Zuma’s inaction on indications of improper ties between the State and the Gupta family may have seen him flout the law.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said though he requested the debate three weeks ago, the release of the report had made the need more pressing still.
“I tabled this motion 20 days ago, in order to give Parliament – the body which represents the people of South Africa – an opportunity to give legitimate expression to the overwhelming disapproval of, and opposition to President Zuma and his administration.
“Since then, the release of the Public Protector’s ‘State of Capture’ report and its contents, has vindicated this decision,” Maimane said.
He argued that Zuma must be removed from office, and that a parliamentary process was the only legitimate avenue for his departure from power before his term ends in 2019.
“This is not a DA motion. This is not an ANC motion. This is a non-partisan motion that affords all 400 members of Parliament the opportunity to either speak for the people, or to protect Jacob Zuma and his corruption. The President was elected by Parliament, and thus must be removed by Parliament.
“South Africa has united in a manner never before seen in our democracy, in order to see Jacob Zuma and his circle of corrupt cronies be removed, once and for all.
“On Thursday, we must use the only platform that is constitutionally mandated to remove a president, and do just that.”
Previous motions of no confidence have been easily voted down by the African National Congress majority in the National Assembly and an impeachment motion, tabled by the opposition in response to Zuma’s handling of the Nkandla scandal went the same way.
Madonsela, in her report, gave the president 30 days to appoint a commission of inquiry to take her investigation into state capture further.
– African News Agency (ANA)