President Jacob Zuma faces another bid for his impeachment when parties debate the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) call for him to be removed from office in the National Assembly today.
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete confirmed yesterday the debate is set down for today afternoon.
Calls for President Zuma to step down have come from opposition parties, within the African National Congress (ANC) and tripartite alliance itself, in the wake of the Constitutional Court’s ruling last Thursday.
The court found that he breached the constitution and his oath of office by not complying with the Public Protector’s findings on the Nkandla spending matter.
The court also found the National Assembly’s adoption of a resolution absolving Zuma was unlawful.
Briefing media at parliament, Mbete welcomed the judgment but insisted the National Assembly had not violated the constitution.
She said parliament respected the judgment and that it clarified how the Public Protector’s reports should be handled in future. But she tried to downplay the Constitutional Court’s damning assessment.
“There’s no Constitutional Court that says we violated (the constitution).
“The Constitutional Court said certain things were inconsistent with the law.”
With the president’s removal set to be debated today, Mbete is also facing calls for her to resign.
The DA’s Chief Whip John Steenhuisen said: “We believe it’s apposite that she steps down and makes way for new leadership able to re-establish parliament’s role as an executive oversight organ.”
However, Mbete said she was not going anywhere.
She also dismissed the need for any apology to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.
The Speaker is likely to preside over today’s debate.
“We have agreed to the application for there to be a debate on the motion. I think surely we should welcome the fact we are not suppressing debate on the motion.”
She also said she wanted to meet with party leaders to discuss the judgment further.
Meanwhile, President Zuma told a supportive crowd in his home province on Sunday that there were people spending sleepless nights plotting his downfall.
“Kunomshikashika omkhulu kabi, ubona abanye bengalali nje bengikhafula ubusuku nemini,” said President Zuma in isiZulu, loosely translated meaning there was a big storm brewing with people spending sleepless nights plotting his demise.
President Zuma was addressing more than 10 000 people at a drought relief imbizo at the Melmoth Sports Grounds in KwaZulu-Natal, where he received a warm welcome.
In his address the South African leader also spoke specifically to black South Africans, encouraging them to use their vote to make a change.
President Zuma said black people were lazy to go out and register to vote, whereas white people went out in large numbers because they knew the power of voting.
This was his first public appearance since his televised apology to the nation regarding the handling of security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead.
Towards the end of his speech, President Zuma told the gathering that he had heard that a white man was going around speaking about him.
He did not specify who the man was.
“I heard about a white man, I don’t know where he gets off, he too was speaking about me.
“All of a sudden everyone thinks their opinion matters.”
Zuma earlier reminded his constituency that he had been tasked to be the president of the country.
“A nation is a nation because of its people . . . While I have been given the task to lead the country, even if you are not a Zuma, regardless of who you are . . . let me lead you,” said President Zuma.
Zuma said he would not be in power for long because he was old.
He also used the opportunity to call for calm and respect saying there was no president who did not wish for peace in his country. — Eye Witness News/News24/State