JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA APRIL 02: National Assembly Speaker; Baleka Mbete addresses the media regarding the motion of no confidence against Jacob Zuma request at the OR Tambo International Airport on April 02, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mbete said she is considering the request and will follow the Constitution and follow necessary steps. (Photo […]
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA APRIL 02: National Assembly Speaker; Baleka Mbete addresses the media regarding the motion of no confidence against Jacob Zuma request at the OR Tambo International Airport on April 02, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mbete said she is considering the request and will follow the Constitution and follow necessary steps. (Photo […]
Baleka Mbete refused to give anything away with her comments to The New Age, who pressed her on whether she would make the no confidence vote against Jacob Zuma subject to a secret ballot.
Parliament’s Speaker kept all of her cards close to her chest as she did not want to disclose what action she would take ahead of Tuesday’s huge decision.
How many ANC members need to vote against Zuma?
The president will be forced to resign if 201 or more MPs vote against him. There needs to be a swing of about 50 ANC members who would vote against him in order for the no confidence motion to succeed.
Conducting the ballot in secret would grant anonymity to the voters, and give them some much needed immunity from pro-Zuma factions – some of whom have threatened to kill those in the ANC who vote against JZ.
Read: These are the five ANC MPs most likely to vote against Jacob Zuma
With lives at stake, it becomes glaringly obvious just how important the secret ballot could be: It would almost certainly embolden MPs to vote clearly and with their conscience, rather than being forced into an ‘appeasement’.
Mbete left a very cryptic message to keep us all guessing when speaking to TNA:
“I will apply my mind judiciously and do the right thing. What I am willing to say to the people of South Africa, as members of parliament … trust us. The people of this country must trust their lawmakers.”
Is that an ominous warning? Or a beacon of hope?
The consequences of the ballot not being held in secret have already been discussed by both the DA and the EFF, who have vowed to serve Mbete with court papers if she does not give MPs voting anonymity.
Who will vote against Jacob Zuma?
Just two ANC MPs have confirmed they will vote against Jacob Zuma, but many more are expected to follow the leads of Makhosi Khoza and Mondli Gungubele, with the former being particularly outspoken in her criticism of the president.
Khoza has shown incredible bravery in the face of death threats, and disciplinaries from her own party.
It’ll take a huge swing, but if more ANC members could wear their hearts on their sleeves on Tuesday, Jacob Zuma will pay the ultimate price for the betrayal of his nation
