ANC celebrates victory, opposition parties hail close vote in Zuma no-confidence motion
President Jacob Zuma had a narrow escape in the eighth attempt to unseat him, but chief whip Jackson Mthembu says it is too soon to talk of disciplining defiant MPs
While ANC MPs erupted in jubilant songs and dancing and President Jacob Zuma’s supporters rallied outside Parliament on Tuesday night to celebrate his victory in the motion of no confidence against him, opposition parties were unanimous in their sense of victory. National Assembly speaker Baleta Mbete announced that of the 384 votes cast, 198 had voted against the motion, 177 in favour and nine abstained. Opposition MPs said this meant that 26 ANC MPs had voted in favour of the motion — despite the intense pressure by the leadership and the caucus on them. They said this was a very significant achievement. Zuma, visibly subdued by the long day and perhaps surprised by the result, addressed his supporters gathered outside Parliament after the announcement. He told them the opposition was attempting to take power away from a democratically elected party through the motion. He thanked MPs who worked hard to protect him from the opposition and said he harboured no ill will towards the...
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