DA-sponsored motion of no confidence in Cabinet fails
The National
Assembly has voted against the motion of no confidence in Cabinet.
The DA-sponsored motion was voted on by Members of Parliament on Wednesday.
The official opposition tabled the motion last month, criticising Cabinet’s failure to reform the economy, create jobs, fight poverty and deal decisively with allegations of rampant corruption.
DA leader John Steehuisen made an impassioned plea to MPs to hold the executive to account.
“Today is about restoring the most scared and fundamental tenet in any democracy, the principle of accountability,” Steenhuisen said in his opening speech to the House.
“If our sole mission is to end poverty, and it should be, then we must start by firing the poverty Cabinet because we won’t win the war with the same general that also got us into the mess in the first place.
“South Africa needs a fresh start and that fresh start starts today with a slimmed-down, fit-for-purpose Cabinet who are up to the task.”
The motion sparked a charged debate among MPs with some parties, including the National Freedom Party, arguing it would be unfair to paint the whole Cabinet with the same brush when some ministers have "performed exceptionally well".
ANC MPs unanimously voted against the motion.
READ: Cabinet in the firing line in National Assembly
The total votes against the motion tallied 231, while 131 MPs voted in favour of the motion.
Only one MP abstained.
Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli confirmed the outcome of the vote.
“The motion is therefore not agreed to,” Tsenoli announced almost six hours later.
A motion of no confidence was also tabled against President Cyril Ramaphosa but that matter did not reach finality.
The House could not agree on a way forward amid a legal squabble.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) called for the motion against Ramaphosa to be postponed pending the outcome of a court application to have the vote conducted by a secret ballot.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula ruled that the matter would be referred to the programming committee on Thursday.
“I now rule that we are not proceeding with this matter and the details of what we do next will be dealt with tomorrow at the programming committee,” Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs.
