Constitutional Court puts secret ballot call in Baleka Mbete’s hands
The court says it is permissible to conduct the vote of no confidence in Jacob Zuma in secret, but it is up to the speaker of Parliament to decide
It is now up to National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete to decide whether or not to allow a secret ballot in the vote in a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma. The Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered that Mbete has the constitutional power to prescribe that voting in a motion of no confidence be conducted through a secret ballot. "The speaker's decision of April 6 2017 - that she does not have the power to prescribe that voting in the motion of no confidence in the president be conducted by secret ballot - is set aside," said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, delivering the judgment. Zuma and Mbete were ordered to pay costs in the matter.
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