The Constitutional Court has declared May 15 as the date it will hear the application by opposition parties UDM and the EFF to compel a parliamentary vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma to be conducted by secret ballot.
The date was confirmed by UDM lawyer Eric Mabuza on Wednesday‚ following a tweet by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa.
President Zuma has opposed the application‚ saying a ruling by the court to effectively force Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete to allow MP’s to vote in secret would subvert the rights of the ANC in parliament.
- No-confidence vote: ANC could not fire rebel MPs Instructions to MPs to vote against their conscience and follow the party line on the motion are illegal and unenforceable, writes Jeremy Gauntlett
The actual debate and vote was postponed by Mbete to allow for the ConCourt application to be finalised.
The motion of no confidence is the fifth tabled against Zuma in three years.
TimesLIVE previously reported the Western Cape High Court dismissed an application in 2015 that sought to force the National Assembly to vote on a motion of no confidence by secret ballot.
- ANC cannot punish MPs if they vote against Zuma - MotlantheFormer deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe says ANC MPs cannot be punished for voting in favour of the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
A majority of 200 plus one would be needed for a motion of no confidence to succeed. The ANC occupies 249 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly‚ and the rest belong to opposition parties‚ reported the Sunday Times.
No motion of no confidence has succeeded because ANC MPs traditionally close ranks around Zuma.
TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 