The story of SA simply refuses to be predictable. On Tuesday‚ members of the National Assembly will, for the first time, cast a vote by secret ballot on a motion of no confidence against a sitting president. After years of being the ultimate Teflon man‚ President Jacob Zuma faces a real threat of being toppled. The speaker of the National Assembly‚ Baleka Mbete‚ did what was‚ up to now‚ unthinkable for a top-six official in the ANC: she rolled the dice on Zuma’s fate. By allowing MPs to vote by secret ballot in the no-confidence motion against the president‚ the ANC does not have complete control on the outcome. The ANC simply has to trust that the instructions it will no doubt hammer into its caucus ahead of the vote will be enough to prevent its MPs from breaking ranks. But once they walk into the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon‚ it will be their decision and their conscience that will dictate how they vote — with no danger of penalty. Mbete provided a detailed explanation ...
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