KEITH GOTTSCHALK: War of attrition against Jacob Zuma is in full swing
The fact that the motion of no confidence against the president was defeated by only a 21-vote margin is unprecedented
The first big surprise was that Baleka Mbete, the speaker of the National Assembly, ruled in favour of the opposition parties’ request for a secret ballot in the eighth vote of no confidence against the president of South Africa. Writing from memory, this is the first time that this speaker’s rulings have ever gone against Luthuli House, the headquarters of the governing ANC, or the preference of the party’s chief whip, Jackson Mthembu. The significance is that a vote of no confidence is a three-line whip: where the caucus decision is binding on all MPs of a particular party. A secret ballot enables dissenting MPs to sidestep threats of party disciplinary action. Her ruling will also recall memories that President Jacob Zuma dumped her to back Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as his preferred successor. In short Mbete apparently perceives her career, as chairperson of the ANC, has nothing more to gain from remaining beholden to Zuma. This is another interesting example of how Zuma’s power is ...
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