The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Democratic Alliance (DA)

  • South Africa’s opposition calls for dissolution of parliament

    South Africa’s opposition calls for dissolution of parliament

    The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called for the dissolution of the South African parliament and a national election to be held, one day after its no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma was defeated.

    Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said the party would bring the motion to dissolve parliament to the assembly on Thursday and request that it be debated as soon as possible.

    Zuma, who has been dogged by accusations of corruption and mismanaging the economy, survived an attempt in parliament to force him from office on Tuesday.

    He was left politically wounded after some members of his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party voted with the opposition.

    Maimane told a news conference in Cape Town that the result showed the ANC was divided and the country needed “a new beginning”.

    “The ANC may have won in the no-confidence motion in parliament yesterday, but it has lost the confidence of the country,” Maimane said.

    “We believe the voters should now have the chance to express their opinion about the conduct of the ANC in defending Jacob Zuma.

    In short, we believe that parliament should be dissolved now so that the country can hold an early election.”

    Zuma’s term as South Africa’s president is due to run until 2019, when an election is scheduled.

    It was not clear whether the motion would be allowed and parliamentary officials could not be reached for comment.

    Wednesday is a public holiday in South Africa and government offices and financial markets were closed.

    Zuma, who has held power since 2009, has now survived nine no-confidence votes despite a record in office marred by allegations of sleaze and influence-peddling.

    He hailed his win as a victory for the ANC.

  • Zuma: Court rules on secret ballot possiblity

    Zuma: Court rules on secret ballot possiblity

    South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that the speaker of parliament can order a secret ballot in an upcoming no-confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma, a move that would open the way for members of his own party to vote against him.

    The ruling might also make it possible to eventually oust the president, who has come under mounting pressure to resign over a string of corruption scandals.

    “Without any fear of reprisals, the secret ballot has been identified as the best voting mechanism” by opposition parties, Chief Justice Mogoeng. Mogoeng said during the court session broadcast live by the television channel eNCA.

    Zuma has already survived several no-confidence motions, but he is now facing increasing criticism within his own African National Congress (ANC).

    The small opposition party United Democratic Movement (UDM), which asked the Constitutional Court to authorise a secret ballot, said ANC members were being threatened with losing their jobs if they voted against the president.

    Analysts say a faction of the ANC could turn against Zuma if the ballot is secret.

    Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete, a member of the ANC, had earlier said she had no powers to order a secret ballot.

    Mbete’s argument had no legal foundation, Mogoeng said, leaving the decision about the ballot in the hands of the speaker.

    The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) proposed the no-confidence vote after Zuma sacked popular finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March, prompting two rating agencies to downgrade South Africa.

    The date of the vote has not yet been set.

    The DA on Thursday called on it to be held as soon as possible and urged all legislators to “vote to fire Zuma.”

    The president’s reputation has been tarnished by a string of scandals, including the use of taxpayers’ money to upgrade his country home and his friendship with the Gupta business family, which has been accused of securing lucrative state contracts in corrupt deals.

  • S/Africa opposition asks court to cancel removal of finance minister

    S/Africa opposition asks court to cancel removal of finance minister

    South Africa’s largest opposition party has filed a court application against President Jacob Zuma’s decision to fire finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

    The Democratic Alliance (DA) described the sacking of Gordhan as a big blow to the economy.

    DA asked the North Gauteng High Court to cancel the decision “on the grounds that it was irrational, and therefore unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid,” the party said in a statement.

    The DA is also seeking an emergency session of parliament to handle a no-confidence motion against Zuma and has called for nationwide protests against the president on Friday.

    It said members of Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) had threatened it with violence and that it would file criminal charges against them while going ahead with the peaceful protests.

    Gordhan had enjoyed the confidence of investors, and Zuma replaced him with the inexperienced Malusi Gigaba just as the country’s economic growth slowed to 0.3 per cent last year. More than a quarter of the workforce is unemployed.

    The sacking of Gordhan prompted the rating agency Standard and Poor’s to downgrade South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to junk status on Monday, sending the rand into free fall. Other rating agencies were expected to follow suit.

    “Zuma’s decision is likely to cost yet more jobs and will have a lasting and calamitous impact on ordinary South Africans,” the DA said.

    The Gordhan affair has threatened to split the ANC, some of whose senior officials reportedly back calls for Zuma to resign.

    But on Wednesday, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe said the party still stood behind the president.

     

  • President Zuma faces impeachment

    President Zuma faces impeachment

    President Jacob Zuma of South Africa is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament next week with his reign mired in crisis, after investigators documented allegations of government corruption.

    Thousands of people took to the streets earlier this week to demand that he should resign from office.

    The vote was called by the main opposition, following a report by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog calling for a judicial inquiry into allegations of influence-peddling in the ANC Government.

    The report was finally released after the president withdrew a court bid to delay its publication in the face of mass public protests.

    Police used stun grenades and water cannon to disperse protesters in Pretoria carrying “Zuma must go’’ placards.

    Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), told a news briefing in Cape Town that the no-confidence debate and vote was scheduled for Nov. 10.

    “This motion should not be viewed as a partisan motion – we do not see it as a DA motion.

    “I know there are ANC MPs and cabinet ministers who have had enough.

    They have an opportunity to actually do something about their anger by Nov. 10,’’ he said.

    Zuma has survived his two previous no-confidence votes this year, largely backed by the support of his ANC (African National Congress) which controls about two-thirds of the Assembly.

    A senior party official said ANC lawmakers were unlikely to break ranks and support the motion this time round.

    However, there have been widening fissures in the ruling party this year.

    There is growing discontent with the scandals that have plagued Zuma’s presidency and played a role in the ANC suffering its worst electoral losses since the end of apartheid in municipal polls in August.