By Carien Du plessis and Gaye Davis
Political Bureau
A planned walkabout by President Jacob Zuma in Gugulethu was abruptly cancelled on Monday, but the ANC denied the reason was because of threatened protests linked to Zuma's sexual conduct.
As the ANC and the Presidency battled to take back control of a media agenda derailed by Zuma's acknowledgement that he had fathered a child by the daughter of a close comrade, Cope announced it intended to table a motion of no confidence in the president and would garner support for the motion from other opposition parties.
Zuma spent most of the day in an ANC national working committee (NWC) meeting at Parliament, where lengthy discussions took place with the provincial task team in charge of rebuilding the party's shattered machinery in the Western Cape.
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A well-placed source said fears that Zuma's walkabout would be met by protesters organised by the DA, Cope and Genderlinks had prompted the cancellation. The ANC denied this, but conflicting reasons were given for the decision.
Zuma's aide in the ANC presidency, Zizi Kodwa, said the visit could not go ahead because of the clash with the NWC meeting.
ANC national spokesman Jackson Mthembu blamed it on a "problem of miscommunication" by party officials.
Asked about the threat of protests Mthembu said "nothing of the sort" had forced their hand.
Genderlinks' Colleen Lowe Morna laughed at suggestions that her organisation was involved in planning protests with the DA and Cope.
"We don't even have an office in Cape Town," she said.
DA and Cope Western Cape officials could not be reached for comment.
Cope deputy president and chief whip Mbhazima Shilowa said in Joburg on Monday that the party wanted to table the motion of no confidence in Zuma as early as possible and would call on other opposition parties, as well as ANC MPs who chose loyalty to "the nation" above loyalty to the party, to support it.
Shilowa said the scandal of Zuma's love child with executive banker Sonono Khoza, daughter of soccer boss Irvin Khoza, showed he was "not fit for office".
"He has tarnished the image of the Republic and brought the office of the Presidency into disrepute," he said.
The president should resign and would have "no moral standing to face the nation" when he gave his State of the Nation address on Thursday, Shilowa said.
Parliamentary officials indicated the earliest any such motion could come before the House would be next Thursday, although Shilowa will be free to speak about it when parties debate Zuma's speech on Monday.
A motion of no confidence requires a simple majority to be passed and is not the same as impeachment, in which two thirds of MPs must support any move to remove the president.
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