Agang queries Zuma’s fitness

AGANGSA says today’s motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma is a matter of principle, and opposition MPs who don’t support it might require medical help.

On Friday, the Western Cape High Court dismissed an urgent application lodged by Agang to postpone the scheduling of the motion.

The party, which has two MPs in the National Assembly, had asked the court to interdict Speaker Baleka Mbete from proceeding with the motion until the court decided whether Mbete was fit to preside over such a motion and that the motion be voted on by secret ballot.

“We lost. The matter was scheduled by the programme committee and it means the matter is beyond our control,” Agang president Andries Tlouamma said yesterday.

“But if there’s an opposition party that might act in the contrary, I will ask myself whether they do not need any medical help. All opposition parties have complained about the president,” Tlouamma said.

He called on MPs to apply their conscience when dealing with the matter.

“It is a matter of principle. To be a leader of a country you should not have spots of blame; you must not be tainted,” he said.

The office of ANC chief whip Stone Sizani said the motion was destined for the same fate as other “frivolous” motions before it – “the dustbin of parliamentary history”.

Zuma faced two previous motions of no confidence, from the DA and Cope.

“We will continue to ensure that the will of the overwhelming majority of our people, over 11 million of which recently demonstrated an unequivocal confidence in the capable leadership of the ANC and its president at elections, continues to find full expression in this Parliament,” said ANC parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo.

He said Agang’s motion was driven by a desperate need for media attention, and although a waste of time, the ANC would use the occasion to reaffirm people’s confidence in Zuma.