Vote of no confidence in Zuma fails

The main opposition brought the motion following the president's axing of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December. 

A total of 99 MPs voted in favour of the motion, 225 against and 22 abstained. 

DA leader Mmusi Maimane labelled the president a sell-out during the debate. 

"Jacob Zuma sold out when he disbanded the Scorpions because of their independence and their threat towards him. 

"He sold out when he knowingly used public money to build his private house at Nkandla. Worst of all he sold out every one of you when he went to court and argued the fact the report you worked so hard to defend was invalid," Maimane said. 

Speaking to @JacaNews following the debate, Maimane said the ANC is selling out South Africans in defence of the president. 

"No ANC MP came to defend him. None of them gave anybody confidence in the president."

Maimane said while the President evaded accountability today, the DA is confident his day will come.

Small Business Development minister Lindiwe Zulu called the motion frivolous.

"Opposition parties without policy content intend on bringing the real work of government to a standstill because they have no solutions to offer South Africa.

"The real question before us is whether the opposition party that brought this motion does so on behalf of South Africans or in their own interests because of gains they have failed to make at the ballot box," she said.

Edited by: Anton Meijer