Mbete confirms threshold for voting numbers may be adjusted

08 August 2017 - 18:15 By Bekezela Phakathi
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ANC National Chairperson Baleka Mbete, said Parliament would seek a legal opinion and should there be a need‚ the threshold would be adjusted accordingly. File photo
ANC National Chairperson Baleka Mbete, said Parliament would seek a legal opinion and should there be a need‚ the threshold would be adjusted accordingly. File photo
Image: Masi Losi

The ANC has 249 seats‚ so all opposition members and at least 50 ANC MPs would have had to vote in favour of the motion for Zuma to be ousted.

However‚ complicating matters for the opposition was the speaker’s insistence that the threshold remained 201‚ despite the fact that as many as five seats were vacant on the day.

She said Parliament would seek a legal opinion and should there be a need‚ the threshold would be adjusted accordingly.

This means that‚ as it stands‚ opposition parties needed more MPs‚ as many as 56 from the ANC to break ranks‚ for the motion to succeed — but this may be retrospectively adjusted depending on the outcome of Constitutional experts’ input on the matter.

- BusinessLIVE

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