Motion of no confidence a chance for ANC to show it's a humble party: Maimane

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday said its motion of no confidence “presents the African National Congress (ANC) with an opportunity to show that it is the listening and humble organisation it proclaims to be”.

It also‚ DA leader Mmusi Maimane said‚ “presents the National Assembly’s 400 members… with a choice between President Jacob Zuma’s continued stranglehold on the country’s constitutional democracy or the development of South Africa and her people”.

Maimane took aim at ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe’s criticism of the DA’s motion as “frivolous”‚ saying this “undermines the executive oversight authority of the National Assembly and it shows a narrow understanding of the Constitution”.

• ‘Act now and do the right thing‚ because time is not on our side’: Mbeki’s speech in fullFormer president Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday night spoke of a country trapped in an economic and political crisis‚ and while he said that “SA not at tipping point”‚ he urged business leaders‚ government and society to “err on the side of caution” and “act now”. 

Mantashe had said on Tuesday‚ following a meeting of the party’s national working committee‚ that opposition parties calling for a motion of no confidence in Zuma was a reflection of “their growing arrogance rather than reality”‚ and urged its members not to “play to the gallery” on this issue

But Maimane countered this‚ saying “the issue of President Zuma is not matter for Luthuli House to deal with internally‚ because the only house with a constitutional mandate and responsibility to act is the National Assembly".

“It is therefore incumbent upon the National Assembly’s ANC Members‚ who derive their mandate from the people and Constitution‚ to act in terms of the highest law in the land and to respond to the calls of the people for President Zuma to be removed from office.”

– TMG Digital