South Africa:

President Cyril Ramaphosa responding to oral questions in the National Assembly, at the Good Hope Chambers in Cape Town. [Photo: GCIS]

Ramaphosa’s no confidence motion MAY NOT happen after all

Parliamentarians have been scheduled to debate then vote on a motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday

South Africa:

President Cyril Ramaphosa responding to oral questions in the National Assembly, at the Good Hope Chambers in Cape Town. [Photo: GCIS]

It has now been learnt that the planned motion of no confidence vote in President Cyril Ramaphosa will likely not take place as the African Transformation Movement (ATM) intends withdrawing it. This is after the party suffered a court defeat on Monday, 28 March 2022.

The High Court in the Western Cape struck the matter from the court’s roll with presiding Judge Judge Rosheni Allie saying the urgency is self-created. It is no secret that ATM, a staunch critic of Ramaphosa, wants the motion to be held via secret ballot, but the court ruling means that MPs can vote openly come Wednesday.

The party has been gunning for Ramaphosa since it managed to bag two seats in Parliament, following the 2019 national elections. The first motion was tabled in February 2020, but the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic put a spanner in the works.

Should the motion go ahead, it would be Ramaphosa’s first one since being sworn into office in February 2018. However, the motion of no confidence against his Cabinet will be debated and voted on as planned on the same day.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: Ramaphosa’s no confidence motion: ATM challenging open ballot vote

ATM INSISTING ON SECRET BALLOT IN RAMAPHOSA’S MOTION

ATM leader Vuyo Zungula tells eNCA that under the current political climate, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s motion should be conducted via secret ballot.

Zungula claims the environment is “poisonous” and has mentioned several names in the ANC, which he claims have been victimised for speaking out against Ramaphosa, including MP Mervyn Dirks.

Now ATM is waiting on the courts to rule on the matter, but only if a secret ballot is allowed.

“It was just a question of timing. Even if the motion cannot be heard on Wednesday, we want the motion to be postponed so that by the time courts already have made a determination, we can proceed with the motion of no confidence – and the voting to be done by means of a secret ballot”

ATM leader Vuyo Zungula

YOU CAN ALSO READ: ATM to appeal Ramaphosa motion of no confidence court ruling