Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet failed in the National Assembly on Wednesday after 231 MPs voted against the motion, 131 for, and one abstained, reports said.
The DA submitted its motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa’s cabinet during the State of the Nation Adress (SONA).
The party accused Ramaphosa of being unable to hold his executive accountable for its failures.
“Because you’ve shown that you’re a president of talk and not a president of action, then we’re going to make it easier for you. Today, I’ve tabled a motion of no confidence, not in you, but the whole Cabinet in terms of Section 102.1 of the Constitution,” Steenhuisen said at the time.
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But, according to EWN, after a lengthy roll-call voting process, members of Parliament completed voting with more than half of those present voting against the motion.
It was the first time that such a motion was heard, and it also made use of the roll call voting system for the first time, News24 reported.
“None of the ANC MPs broke rank, while other opposition parties like the IFP, GOOD, the NFP, AIC and Al Jama-ah also didn’t support the motion.
“The DA, EFF, FF Plus, ACDP, UDM and ATM supported the motion.COPE’s Willie Madisha abstained, and the PAC was absent, said the report.
Earlier, the motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa was reportedly postponed after the African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyolwethu Zungula refused to move his motion.
ALSO READ | Motions of no confidence against Cyril Ramaphosa, Cabinet to go ahead on Wednesday
According to eNCA, ATM asked parliament to halt proceedings pending judicial review of the matter.
The party said the matter of the secret ballot was still before the court.
“Therefore, we cannot proceed with the motion because the matter to vote by secret ballot it is still under judicial review,” Zungula was quoted as saying.
A News24 report said that Zungula asked for the motion’s postponement after the Western Cape High Court struck the ATM’s application to force National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to have the motion voted on by secret ballot, from the urgent roll on Monday.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
