Secret ballot ruling welcomed by civil society, trade unions & opposition parties
There has been mixed reaction to the ruling by the Constitutional Court on the use of a secret ballot during the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.
The highest court in the land ruled that the power lies with National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete, to decide on the use of a secret ballot.
The Black First Land First (BLF) Movement welcomed the ruling, saying they have been warning the people of South Africa against the alliance of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
"This alliance is against radical economic transformation. The court application for a secret ballot is another ploy to try and create conditions conducive for the British sponsored coup," the organisation says.
The business rights watchdog AfriBusiness welcomed the ruling, saying responsibility has now shifted to Baleka Mbete.
"She is well known for her favour towards Zuma and this will effectively mean that, although she has the power to decide on a secret ballot, the likelihood of her finding in favour of this is nearly zero," the rights group says in a statement.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) says the ruling must force Mbete to conduct the vote in secret.
"This ruling is therefore important within the context of our campaign against state capture, maladministration and corruption that the National Congress adopted," Fedusa's Dennis George says.
The Congress of the People (COPE) believes democracy won the day.
"This is not only a victory for the opposition but also for the people of the country. We hope that the Speaker of Parliament listens and works according to the ruling of the ConCourt," the party says.