Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane addresses the House during a debate of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Picture: TREVOR SAMSON
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane addresses the House during a debate of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Picture: TREVOR SAMSON

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A ROWDY debate of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday predictably saw the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly close ranks in defence of the President.

While opposition leaders insisted that there were cracks appearing in support for the President within the ANC caucus, this was not on display as attempts to get voting on the motion done by secret ballot were rejected by the ruling party.

The opposition attempted to get all ministers and deputy ministers excluded from the proceedings, because if the motion succeeded they would have to resign with Mr Zuma, meaning that they had a material interest in the outcome. This was also rejected.

The ANC rolled out Zuma loyalists such as Mathole Motshekga, who assisted in getting Parliament to rule that Mr Zuma had no need to repay any of the Nkandla money, and Lindiwe Zulu, a former adviser to the President, to support Mr Zuma.

When the motion was put to the vote there were 99 for it and 225 against, with 22 abstentions, meaning that the motion was defeated.

Introducing the motion, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane turned to the ANC benches and said: "If you cannot put SA first, then at least put your party first because the longer you have Jacob Zuma as your leader, the more support you will lose".

He caused chaos in the house when he accused both Mr Zuma and the ANC benches of being the sell-outs of South Africans.

DA MP David Maynier said: "President Jacob Zuma is wrecking the economy and he is wrecking SA. And if President Jacob Zuma is not stopped, he will wreck the economy and he will wreck SA. So we are faced with a choice: to save President Jacob Zuma or to save SA. Because, we cannot do both.

"President Jacob Zuma fired the former minister of finance, Nhlanhla Nene, which wiped out billions in savings and permanently damaged investor confidence in SA. The economic consequences were entirely predictable and should have been anticipated."

Mr Maynier said the situation could not be allowed to continue.

Mr Motshekga said Cabinet ministers were appointed by the President under the Constitution and the law, and "to suggest, as the DA does, that Cabinet ministers are conflicted and should not participate in this debate is absurd in the extreme. This suggestion is irrational and betrays the constitutional illiteracy of the DA".

Mr Motshekga said the motion of no-confidence in the President is irrational and based on anger and frustration at the progress that Mr Zuma and the ANC have made in the creation of a better life for all our people, both black and white.

"The DA knows full well that there is no rational basis for the removal of the President and his Cabinet. They seek to achieve this demonic scheme through dirty tricks. Like apartheid security operatives, the DA has been sending e-mails to ANC MPs, urging them to vote against their conscience and rationality. The DA has also been spying on the ANC caucus. This DA behaviour is immoral and unethical.

"They do so because they know that no right thinking South African wants to collapse the ANC government led by Jacob Zuma. In addition to the dirty tricks, immoral and unethical conduct the DA seeks to collapse by undermining the constitution and the rule of law," he said.