CAPE TOWN, South African opposition parties have failed to unseat President Jacob Zuma when Members of Parliament, after a marathon voting session conducted by secret ballot, showed the MPs voting in the National Assembly here Tuesday to reject a motion of no confidence against the president by a 198-177 margin.

Shortly after the counting of votes was conducted, in the presence of observers from both the ruling and opposition parties, MPs from the ruling party burst into song, signalling that the motion had been rejected. On the day, 384 votes were cast with 177 voting for the motion, 198 rejecting it, and nine abstaining.

Therefore, the motion of no confidence against the President is accordingly negative, Speaker Baleka Mbete announced in the Assembly.

It was the eighth failed motion of no confidence against President Zuma.

A jubilant Zuma later slammed opposition parties for trying to unseat him, saying the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is “undefeatable”.

Addressing scores of ANC supporters outside Parliament on Tuesday evening, the president said all tricks to defeat the ANC would fall short. “The ANC is there; is powerful, is big… It’s difficult to defeat the ANC. They are pumping propaganda through the media that the ANC is no longer supported by the people. The ANC is supported by the overwhelming majority of this country. They will realise in 2019 when we win … once again.”

Meanwhile, ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu said defeating the motion of no confidence in President Zuma did not mean the party would not tackle issues of concern such as State Capture.

Twenty-six ANC MPs voted for Zuma to go while nine abstained.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK