DA calls for debate on motion of no confidence in Zuma for early 2016
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane on Monday said he had written to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete calling for the opening of Parliament to be brought forward so MPs can debate a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
Maimane wants a debate in the second week of January so Parliament can deal with the “failing confidence in Jacob Zuma” following the President’s firing of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, the appointment of David van Rooyen, and van Rooyen’s subsequent replacement by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan, who returns to the post he held from 2009 to 2014.
Parliament is scheduled to open on February 12.
“The ANC has itself expressed a lack of confidence in Jacob Zuma, and internal ANC and Tripartite Alliance pressure last night pushed Zuma to expose himself for his reckless and illogical steps over the past five days, by backtracking and flip-flopping in bringing back Minister Gordhan as Finance Minister,” Maimane said.
“Our economy has expressed enormous ill-confidence in President Zuma as it was sent into a tailspin, losing over two hundred billion rand in value in the past days, and forcing up South Africa’s sovereign debt costs that will ultimately steal funding from the poor. ”
Maimane said his party would also call for cabinet ministers to be exlcuded from the vote of no confidence as it would directly affect their positions.
“Section 96 (2) (b) of the Constitution spells out that conflicts of interest shall not be allowed in votes of such great importance, and each cabinet minister must be excluded from the vote for this reason,” he said.
The party was seeking legal advice in this regard
Photo: Gallo images