The Speaker of South Africa’s Parliament has postponed the debate on a no confidence motion against the country’s President Jacob Zuma.
Baleka Mbete in a statement said she “has decided to postpone the debate and vote on the motion of no confidence in the President of the Republic.”
The debate and subsequent voting on the motion was expected to have taken place on April 18, but there is a court action in place to get lawmakers to vote on the motion by secret ballot.
That case will be determine by the courts days after the original date for the debate in the national assembly.
Baleka Mbete’s decision was as a result of an earlier request by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to that effect hoping that the debate can take place after the conclusion of an application made by the United Democratic Movement (UDM) at the Constitutional Court.
“The programme committee will be requested to consider two things, namely the implications of the postponement of the motion, especially in light of Rule 90 (rule of anticipation), and a possible date in the future for the consideration of the motion,” Ms Mbete said.
Opposition political parties are hoping that should a secret balloting take place on the motion some ANC MPs may support the motion.
Bantu Holomisa, head of the smaller United Democratic Movement (UDM), told Reuters that “We only need 65 to 70 people from the ANC, and the secret ballot can deliver the votes to remove Zuma.”
Read: SA Court To Hear Case For Secret ‘No-Confidence’ Ballot On Zuma
South Africans have staged protests this month demanding that Mr. Zuma steps down.
Source: Africafeeds.com
