South Africa’s Zuma survives new no-confidence vote

Nonetheless, President Zuma has been dogged by scandals since coming to power, notably the Nkandla case, whereby the South African government paid $23 million for upgrades to the president’s private residence.

Despite emotional pleas from opposition politicians on why Zuma should be removed, the no confidence vote was dismissed, as the ANC has a parliamentary majority in a legislature that more often than not votes on partisan lines.

“Jacob Zuma sold out when he manipulated the National Prosecuting Authority to drop charges on 783 counts of corruption, bribery, money laundering and racketeering against him”, Seabe said.

The case was brought up again after the DA won a spirited battle to obtain so-called “spy tapes” which apparently incriminated Zuma.

However, if the opposition continues to press for corruption charges to be reinstated, the party could replace him ahead of the vote. “The EFF refuses to legitimize a morally and politically compromised President of the ANC through another process on Parliament”, the EFF statement read.

The secret recordings showed that Scorpions head Leonard McCarthy was timing the charges in order to influence the African National Congress’s Polokwane conference to favour former President Thabo Mbeki.

However, the DA has maintained that there was no material prejudice if the case proceeded and the delay in indictment would, if nothing, probably have favoured the president.

While Zuma is expected to easily survive the no-confidence debate, analysts say heavy losses for the ANC in the elections could turn the party against the president.

Zuma’s decision lead to economic turmoil which caused the country’s volatile economy to crash, resulting in billions of rands being wiped out.

“There’s nowadays dissident voices in the ANC. The support of Zuma is weaker but not to the point of collapse”, Susan Booysen of the University of the Witwatersrand told AFP. “A President with a vision for a more prosperous South Africa, for all who live in it…It is obvious to all that this President is not Jacob Zuma”, Maimane argued in parliament.