Zuma recall

Scramble to reach consensus on JZ motion

POLITICAL parties are frantically trying to reach consensus on the debate on the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma to force him out of office. This comes as the cabinet postponed its scheduled meeting today due to developments in the governing party.

Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said a new date for the next cabinet meeting would be communicated soon.

Zuma’s allies have threatened a court interdict against the ANC to challenge the outcome of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting which decided to recall him.

The EFF also warned yesterday it could still go to court to force Speaker Baleka Mbete to move their motion before the end of the week. The EFF asked the ANC “not to be petty” and allow its motion, scheduled for February 22, to be brought forward to either tomorrow or Friday.

This could be resolved at today’s urgent meeting of chief whips of all parties.

The meeting was called by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu. All committee meetings scheduled for this morning were shifted to this afternoon.

The meeting of the chief whips was to be followed by the ANC’s special caucus meeting in Parliament. Sources have said this would be to whip ANC MPs into line on how to vote in the motion of no confidence.

However, there is a problem because the EFF has already tabled its motion and warned the ANC not to jump the queue.

A senior ANC MP said it would be speculative how party members would vote or if the party would allow them to vote with the opposition.

He said they would push for their own motion to remove Zuma.

“We will push for the motion for the removal of the president. However, caucus tomorrow will have to be clear how the mechanics will work if Julius (Malema) refuses to drop his motion and allow our motion,” said the ANC MP.

Another party MP said they wanted to get Zuma out of office, and they could do what some of them did in November. This was when more than 25 ANC MPs voted with the opposition.

“I think we need to vote for any motion that deals with the removal of the president, irrespective who has tabled it. Look, the EFF will claim victory for this, but the outcome is the same if we vote with them,” said another ANC MP.

Other ANC MPs said they were looking forward to the meeting, although the agenda was not stated. “We received text messages,” said the ANC MP.

“It is obvious that the leadership will update us on the process to be followed to recall the president and also give a line of march on the matter now that it will be handled by Parliament via a motion of no confidence if the president does not step down…” he said.

The MP found it strange that Zuma was coming with conditions when asked to resign.

“He has been saying all along that when the organisation asks him to step down he will follow the orders as a disciplined member. It is clear that he did not mean what he said,” he noted.

Another ANC member said he was hoping the caucus would tackle the question of the motion of no confidence in light of the already existing motion by the EFF.

The MP felt the motion should not be a stumbling block in the removal of Zuma just because it came from the benches of the opposition.