South Africa: Zuma likely to survive no-confidence motion

No-confidence motion “has no chance of succeeding”

A motion of no confidence in South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma “has no chance of succeeding” when parliament votes on Thursday, the secretary-general of Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) party, Gwede Mantashe, said on Tuesday.

The vote was called by the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party last week after South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog called in a report for a judicial inquiry into allegations of influence-peddling in Zuma’s government.

“The DA has now made this an annual and frivolous ritual that is fast losing its meaning,” Mantashe told a media briefing, referring to the no-confidence vote.
“This vote of no-confidence has no chance of succeeding.”

He added that the report did not find anyone guilty, and that calls by the opposition urging Zuma to quit over its findings were “premature”.

The report by the Public Protector stopped short of saying crimes had been committed, but said a judge should investigate whether Zuma, cabinet members and some state companies acted improperly in their dealings with a group of wealthy businessmen.

Zuma denies granting undue influence to the businessmen – who run a business empire from media to mining – or anyone else. The scandal highlighted in the report has rattled investors in Africa’s most industrialized country and raised the risk the stagnating economy’s credit ratings will be downgraded.

Zuma, 74, has already survived 2 previous no-confidence votes related to other scandals. His ruling ANC party controls about two-thirds of the 400-member assembly.

But discontent with Zuma’s scandal-plagued presidency has widened fissures within the ruling party and played a role in the ANC suffering its worst electoral losses since the end of apartheid in municipal polls in August this year.

Source: Reuters