DA Gets Go-Ahead for No-Confidence Debate in Zuma

A day after President Jacob Zuma said that South Africa and markets overreacted to his sacking of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, which caused economic havoc, the Democratic Alliance has been allowed to go ahead with a debate on a motion of no-confidence in Zuma.

Leader of the DA Mmusi Maimane said on Monday that Speaker Baleka Mbete had agreed in writing to the request and that the debate would be put on the first available Order Paper for 2016. This could happen any time after the State of the Nation address on 11 February.

“President Zuma’s leadership on the economy is non-existent, and he is incapable of leading us out of the crisis of low growth and high unemployment that we face,” Maimane said.

The opposition’s move was triggered by Zuma’s apparent unilateral sacking of Nene, replacing him with unknown backbencher Des van Rooyen, which sent the markets and the rand plummeting, before – according to reports at the time – Zuma was forced to replace Van Rooyen with Pravin Gordhan days later.

The action of having three finance ministers in five days drew criticism from many quarters about Zuma’s understanding of economics and his fitness to run the country.

Maimane said the debate only got more important after Zuma on Sunday showed no remorse for his “reckless and irrational” move, which cost South Africa an estimated R170 billion and which analysts said has lost South Africa untold trust by financial institutions around the world. Zuma said the markets and South Africa “overreacted” to his sacking of Nene.

“This blatant denialism is an insult to every South African who has felt, and will continue to feel, the damaging effects the President’s decision had on our economy,” said Maimane. “Instead of taking responsibility for his poor decision, President Zuma is shirking it.”

Motions of no confidence have been made before, but have been beaten by the ANC, news reports noted.