Cape Town – The ANC caucus in Parliament has stuck to its guns in backing President Jacob Zuma and insisted it would not support any motion of no confidence against him.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said on Thursday they welcomed the judgement of the Constitutional Court to clarify the role of the Speaker on the secret ballot.
He said they would consult with their lawyers on the judgment.
However, their understanding was that the Constitutional Court has reverted the power for a secret ballot back to the Speaker, Baleka Mbete.
Mthembu said they stand by their decision that they would not back any motion to remove Zuma.
“As the ANC caucus, we will engage positively in all avenues that our rules give the Speaker to engage on this matter that has been ventilated in the Constitutional Court,” said the ANC chief whip.
“Notwithstanding these matters and the effects of the engagements that will ensue in the rules committee, we are still steadfast that whether such engagement will result in a vote by secret ballot or not, we have unqualified and unequivocal confidence in the ANC caucus not to vote in support of a motion to remove the President of the ANC who is also the President of the Republic of South Africa and our government from office,” said Mthembu.
He said ANC MPs were in Parliament on the party ticket, and derive their mandate from the ANC.
He said this was also clarified by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng that South Africa has a party system.
This would mean ANC MPs would take instructions from the party, and not other parties.