Mbete faces vote of no confidence with little emotion

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete gave little away in the form of emotion on Tuesday afternoon as opposition party MPs tried to pass a motion of no confidence in her.

DA MPs cheered as their parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane opened the debate on the motion.

"We see this playing out every day in Parliament. Honourable Baleka Mbete has been deployed here to make sure President Zuma doesn’t have to answer tough questions in Parliament. In so doing, she is placing her party before our country," Maimane said.

"When Speaker Mbete hires former ANC MPs to offices in Parliament that are supposed to be independent, she is placing party before country.

"When Speaker Mbete allows the security cluster to militarise Parliamentary security to intimidate opposition MPs, she is placing party before country.

"When Speaker Mbete holds an ANC rally inside the precinct of Parliament, as she did this afternoon, she is placing party before country.

"And when Speaker Mbete covers for the President during a tough question session, she is placing party before country," Maimane said.

Mbete could not serve as a leader of the ANC and a neutral Speaker.

"The conflict of interest is untenable."

Mbete had been deployed as Speaker to ensure Zuma did not have to face any tough questions.

"She came here not as an honest referee, but as a player for President Zuma's ANC. She sold out this Parliament to her masters at Luthuli House," Maimane said.

Even Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema joined in applauding Maimane when he outlined why MPs on both sides of the House should support the motion.

Mbete - seated next to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa - folded her arms and sat listening to Maimane accuse her of protecting President Jacob Zuma from being held accountable.

She showed very little emotion as her integrity came under attack.

Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli had a tough time chairing the debate as MPs objected to ANC supporters seated in the public gallery cheering and jeering during the debate.

The ANC supporters packed the public gallery in support of Mbete.