Johannesburg - The ANC used its majority in Parliament to muscle through the pension benefits of former President Jacob Zuma after opposition parties rejected it.
A total of 197 ANC MPs voted in favour of approving Zuma’s pension and 95 opposition members voted against the motion.
The opposition on Wednesday refused to back a motion tabled by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu that the House must approve the pension benefits of Zuma.
The former president left office early this year after he was recalled by the ANC.
In a debate opposition, MPs said Zuma did not deserve to get any pension because of his alleged involvement in state capture and other shenanigans.
They said he did not deserve to get a cent from state coffers.
The law requires that all former heads of state are entitled to a pension after retirement and other benefits.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said South Africans had paid enough for Zuma.
He said the almost R17 million in legal fees, the upgrade of his house in Nkandla and state capture issues were enough that taxpayers had paid for.
The EFF also said Zuma must not be paid a cent because there were serious findings against him by the Constitutional Court on Nkandla and the revelations in the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture were sufficient to show his presidency was mired in controversy.
“We must not forget that Mr Zuma did not stand down willingly, he stood down because we were going to impeach him and was going lose all his benefits,” said EFF MP Sam Matiase.
But the ANC said he was not impeached, but his departure followed the decision of the ruling party.
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Political Bureau
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