No confidence vote: How it will work

The National Assembly in Cape Town will be the centre of political attention today, when the long-awaited debate and vote in the motion of no confidence in President Zuma takes place. 

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete granted the opposition's wish for voting to take place in secret, a move which opposition parties believe increases the chance of the motion succeeding. 

Voting booths will be set up on the floor of the National Assembly to allow MPs to vote in secret, following a debate on the motion of no confidence. 

Political analyst Karima Brown says MPs will not vote according to their seat number.

"Of course everyone knows everybody's seat number. They will be called out alphabetically (to) the table set aside. 

"In 2009, the IEC prepared the election boxes for the vote. Yesterday we got a sense that is not going to happen in this instance, but the various parties, including the opposition parties, saying that there should be no problem with how things are going to be working out." 

The question to be voted upon will be printed on a ballot paper, with the following options: YES, NO or ABSTAIN.

The questions on the ballot paper cannot be prepared beforehand, as the motion could still be changed to "a motion of confidence IN the president". 

Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says each of the political parties represented in the National Assembly will designate a representative to witness the counting of the ballot papers. This will take place in a counting room set aside and monitored by the Serjeant-at-arms and Parliamentary Protection Service. 

When the counting of the ballots are complete, bells will be rung for resumption of business. Once business resumes, Speaker Baleka Mbete will announce the outcome of the voting. 

In order for the motion to carry, 201 of the 400 MPs (in other words 50%+1) need to vote in favour of President Zuma's removal.