Secret ballot voting process ‘was beyond reproach’

‘It would not be possible to know how individual MPs voted

PARLIAMENT has defended the secret ballot that was used in the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma, saying it was a credible process despite people questioning how some MPs voted.

The ANC has said it would discipline at least three of its MPs who had publicly stated how they voted.

But Parliament yesterday warned against those questioning the process, saying it had been beyond reproach.

The ANC has said at least 26 of its MPs voted with the opposition last week.

Zuma survived the motion by 21 votes after 198 MPs voted for him to stay, and 177 voted against him. Nine MPs abstained.

Some ANC leaders have warned against conducting a witch-hunt against those MPs who sided with the opposition and voted according to conscience.

Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, said the use of a secret ballot was beyond reproach.

Speaker Baleka Mbete decided on the secret ballot the day before MPs voted in the National Assembly.

This followed the ruling of the Constitutional Court that she had the power to decide on whether to use a secret or open ballot in the voting process.

Mothapo said Parliament had noted how some MPs had publicly stated how they voted.

He said all necessary measures had been taken to ensure the integrity of the process. He added that it would not be possible to know how individual MPs had cast their ballot, given the stringent, maximum security measures around the secret ballot.

After the votes were cast, the ballot boxes were taken away and put under lock and key, and only Mbete or the courts could open them.

Mothapo said no one could know how MPs voted in the motion of no confidence.

“The rigorous confidentiality measures regarding the motion of no-confidence were endorsed by all parties, and are similar to those employed in the election of the president and presiding officers since 1994,” said Mothapo.

The SACP also entered the fray and warned against a witch-hunt of those ANC MPs who had voted against Zuma.

It called on Zuma to resign – or for the ANC to recall him because of the problems associated with his presidency.

The SACP described calls to discipline the MPs as a witch-hunt driven by factional agendas.

It said the ANC should have taken action against Zuma a long time ago for not consulting the ANC and its alliance partners on key decisions, including a cabinet reshuffle in March.

It said Zuma had run the country into the ground, but no action had been taken against him.

“The SACP has nothing in common with credit-rating agencies.

“But as a party we are not oblivious to the deleterious consequences of their downgrading decisions.

“Our country should not be pushed into such decisions the way President Zuma has recklessly done, without being held accountable.

“For example, other ANC officials did acknowledge after the last cabinet reshuffle that the president had acted unilaterally, and that is outside our shared revolutionary discipline.

“Luthuli House and the alliance are a strategic political centre that must guide the conduct of the government,” it said.