South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has survived his latest vote of no confidence – despite the ballot being held in secret.
Opposition parties had hoped the secret ballot would mean some MPs from the governing ANC party might side with them against the president BBC Africa reports
But the motion, called amid repeated allegations of corruption, was defeated by 198 votes to 177.
This news was greeted with cheers and singing by ANC MPs.
Image copyrightREUTERS
“They believe they could use technicalities in parliament to take over the the majority from the ANC,” he told the assembled crowd.
“It is impossible: they cannot. We represent the majority.”
His words echoed those of a statement released by the ANC parliamentary party, which said the vote had been a “soft coup”, and accused the opposition of attempting “to collapse government, deter service delivery and sow seeds of chaos in society to ultimately grab power”.
However, it was not an entire success for the governing party. The result means at least 26 ANC MPs rebelled, while another nine MPs abstained from voting.
In order for the no-confidence motion to pass, at least 50 out of the ANC’s 249 MPs would have had to vote against the president.
The strength of feeling in the party towards those who had broken ranks became clear quickly.
Analysis: How many more lives does Zuma have left?
by Milton Nkosi, BBC News, South Africa
President Jacob Zuma is celebrating following his narrow success of surviving his eighth motion of no confidence vote. He is certainly on his ninth life now.
But judging by the number of ANC MPs who voted with the opposition it seems like it’s going to be a short lived relief. The internal squabbles of the governing ANC have reached the back benches of parliament.
Image copyrightREUTERSThis essentially means that it’s going to a long road towards the elective conference in December when the ANC will be electing a new leader to replace the beleaguered Mr Zuma. The question is whether he will survive the last two years of his presidency.
Some here tell me that he will not complete his second term. But we have heard these threats before and we have written his political obituary before only for the 75-year-old president to re-emerge like a rising sphinx from the ashes.
South Africa’s police minister Fikile Mbalula told a crowd gathered in Cape Town those “who vote with the opposition are suicide bombers”, while the ANC’s chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the party was planning to look into disciplining those who had voted against the president, South Africa’s TimesLive website reported.
But the rebels were praised by opposition leaders.
The Democratic Alliance’s Mmusi Maimane – who earlier said the vote was one between “right and wrong; between good and evil” – told reporters: “I applaud the courageous ANC people who moved across and said we will vote with our conscience and we will vote for change.”
Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, said the vote had proved South Africa’s democracy works – and warned Mr Zuma it proved they could unseat him.
Zuma’s legal woes:
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES- 2005: Charged with corruption over multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal – charges dropped shortly before he becomes president in 2009
- 2016: Court orders he should be charged with 786 counts of corruption over the deal – he has appealed
- 2005: Charged with raping family friend – acquitted in 2006
- 2016: Court rules he breached his oath of office by using government money to upgrade private home in Nkandla – he has repaid the money
- 2017: Public protector said he should appoint judge-led inquiry into allegations he profiteered from relationship with wealthy Gupta family – he denies allegations, as have the Guptas
- No inquiry appointed yet
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