Parliament – Parliament on Thursday confirmed it received correspondence from the Democratic Alliance (DA) requesting a fresh vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
"The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Baleka Mbete, will apply her mind and respond accordingly in due course," Parliament said in a brief statement.
The DA's decision comes after confirmation by the South African Communist Party (SACP) that Zuma wants to fire Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
The SACP said Zuma was relying on a dodgy intelligence report that alleged Pravin and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas were plotting against him.
“Since his reckless and irrational decision to recall Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, and his Deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, from an international roadshow to boost investment, growth and job creation in South Africa, the gains made by Gordhan and Jonas to restore credibility in our economy following the disastrous firing of former Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, 15 months ago, have all but been eviscerated,” Maimane said.
It will be the fifth time the official opposition parties attempts to remove Zuma from office in this manner. Maimane said the DA wants the no confidence motion debated when Parliament reconvenes after the Easter recess.
The Economic Freedom Fighters on Thursday headed to the Constitutional Court with an application asking that it order Mbete to institute impeachment proceedings against the President.
The EFF said it was doing so because of Zuma’s handling of the Nkandla scandal, in which he was eventually found by the court to have flouted the law and ordered to pay for luxuries added to his rural home at public cost.