South Africa: Opposition party calls for no-confidence vote in Zuma on Nov. 10

South Africa’s biggest opposition party – the Democratic Alliance (DA) – said Thursday that it is pushing for a parliamentary vote to remove President Jacob Zuma next week following the release of a state watchdog report indicating possible government corruption linked to Zuma and some associates.

The DA will launch a campaign to support its motion, even lobbying members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party who defeated a similar move in parliament against the president in April, said opposition leader Mmusi Maimane. The opposition is likely to encounter the same kind of resistance from the ruling party in a new vote, even though more ANC members have spoken publicly against Zuma in recent months.

“We can today reveal that we have received provisional confirmation that this motion will be debated in the National Assembly” on November 10, Maimane said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the South African parliament rejected a motion to remove Zuma by a vote of 233 to 143 in a raucous session in which some ruling party and opposition lawmakers jeered at each other and traded insults. The motion required a two-thirds majority for approval.

On Thursday, the ruling party said it welcomed the release of the report on corruption allegations linked to the president, but commented only in general terms about curbing graft.

“This report provides a concrete basis for the ANC and society in general to discuss the allegations contained therein and deal with its outcomes,” the party said in a statement. It said it support a plan to introduce “lifestyle audits” for all party leaders.

Pressure on Zuma intensified Wednesday when a South African court ordered the release of the state watchdog report about an allegedly improper relationship that Zuma and some state officials had with the Guptas, a business family accused of meddling in the government for financial benefit. The report by the public protector’s office found possible ethical violations centering on allegations that the Guptas were involved in the removal and appointment of Cabinet ministers and directors of state-owned firms.

The Gupta family wants to present its case and will cooperate with any judicial inquiry, said family lawyer Gert van der Merwe.

“We will prepare for the allegations and that is what we concentrate on,” eNCA, a South Africa media organization, quoted van der Merwe as saying.

The Guptas have previously denied any wrongdoing and said they were being framed as scapegoats for South Africa’s economic problems.

The watchdog report, which fueled opposition calls for Zuma’s resignation, recommended that a judicial commission investigate the allegations against the president and others. Zuma would be required to appoint the commission, though the chief justice of the Constitutional Court would select a judge to head the panel. Zuma’s office said he was not given a chance to provide “meaningful input” in the investigation and is considering whether to challenge the report in court.

Zuma, meanwhile, traveled to neighboring Zimbabwe on Thursday to discuss trade with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. In prepared remarks there, Zuma did not mention the scandals that have sapped his popularity at home, focusing instead on economic and other challenges as well as the importance of strengthening ties with Zimbabwe.

Source: Associated Press