South Africa: Secret Ballot for No-Confidence Vote Against President Zuma

Left: Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete. Right: President Jacob Zuma.
7 August 2017

Cape Town — South Africa's Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete has announced that the vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be by secret ballot.

The call for Zuma's eighth motion of no confidence came after the president reshuffled his Cabinet on March 30 - a move that saw then finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas sacked.

Mbete had said she had no authority in law or in terms of the rules of Parliament to determine a secret ballot, but in June the Constitutional Court ruled that Mbete, as Speaker, has the constitutional power to decide whether or not to hold a secret ballot during the motion.

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