Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni expects that the result of yesterday's motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will lead to soul searching by the ANC.
Jacaranda FM News
Somadoda says while the ANC might be relieved following the outcome of the vote, there is not a lot to celebrate.
"Having seen the no confidence vote rise from 126 votes to 177 in the space of a few months, which suggests that 26 or more of its members may have voted with the opposition, will not be a comfort for the ANC", says Somadoda.
"They will be relieved that at least they will not be dealing with the dilemma of having removed the president and all the added ramifications".
Members of Parliament (MPs) were allowed to vote by way of a secret ballot following a heated debate.
A total of 384 votes were cast.
A total of 177 MPs voted in favour of the motion, with 198 MPs voting for the president to remain in his position.
Nine MPs abstained from the vote.
Somadoda says he believes the result is a psychological victory for the opposition.
"The opposition is progressively gaining ground in the local government elections over time and they might say that their campaign is beginning to yield some fruit", says Somadoda.
"They have also managed to push the ANC into an akward position of being seen as defending the president against all the issues that are being raised without attending to those issues and addressing them directly".
