ANC caucus to table No Confidence Motion against President

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) parliamentary caucus has agreed to table a Motion of No Confidence against President Jacob Zuma on Thursday.

The announcement follows a special meeting of the ANC MPs on Wednesday, which was addressed by ANC Treasury General Paul Mashatile, to communicate the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to recall President Jacob Zuma.

“The NEC of the ANC has decided to recall President Zuma and the deadline is today.  We are now proceeding and we have asked the Chief Whip to proceed with the Motion of No Confidence tomorrow in Parliament,” said Mashatile.

The governing party had given President Zuma an option to resign but the President has not yet indicated he would accede to this call.

The Motion of No Confidence, Mashatile said, would pave the way for the governing party to elect ANC President and Deputy President of the country Cyril Ramaphosa as the new president of the republic to fill the vacancy.

Mashatile said the parliamentary processes will have to move with speed in anticipation that the new president will probably have to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by Friday before the Budget which is scheduled for Wednesday next week.

The SONA, scheduled for last Thursday, had to be postponed. This, while the leadership of the ANC held what was described as leadership transition talks with President Zuma.

“For us as the leadership of the ANC, we cannot wait longer than today. We can't continue waiting. The decision was taken and it must be implemented,” Mashatile said.

ANC chief whip in parliament Jackson Mthembu emphasised that, depending on the availability of the Chief Justice, Deputy President Ramaphosa could be inaugurated as President by Thursday.

"The sooner these matters are dealt with, the better," said Mthembu. - SAnews.gov.za