Over 1.4 Million Emails in Support of No-Confidence Debate Against Zuma

More than 1.4 million people have sent online emails lobbying the African National Congress members of parliament to support the no-confidence debate against President Jacob Zuma scheduled to be heard on Tuesday.

The Democratic Alliance in December asked for the no-confidence debate and it was confirmed in January. It will take place at 2 p.m. South African time on Tuesday.

In a statement on Sunday, the party said in a statement, “President Zuma’s recklessness with the economy, including his disastrous decision to fire Nhlanhla Nene, have devastated South Africa’s economy and employment market.

“This coupled with revelations of ‘SARS Wars’ brewing between the Presidency, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, and the ANC – which sent the rand plummeting last week – are clear indicators that President Zuma is not fit to hold public office.”

On its site it included a letter that has been signed by more than 1.4 million people and is addressed to all ANC parliamentarians, asking them to vote with their consciences in the no-confidence debate.

“Over 1.4 million letters lobbying the ANC National Assembly Caucus to support today’s Motion of No Confidence in President Zuma have been sent through our online platform,” the DA said in a statement.

The DA asked earlier that there be a secret ballot during the debate, although the suggestion was blown out of the water by ANC chief whip Stone Sizani.

“We can’t work on the basis of the conscience,” he was quoted as saying two weeks ago. “Why are you allowing yourself to come to the house on the basis of that ticket of the ANC? When you come here you’re an individual governed by your own individual conscience, it doesn’t work.”

The office of the chief whip of the ANC released a statement on Monday saying the DA’s no-confidence debate was an attempt to distract the public from the racial problems going on within the party.

“Instead of expending his energies on rooting out racism and proving that he is in firm control of the party, Mmusi Maimane engages in diversionary publicity stunts whose intention is to cloak racism,” the office of the chief whip said.

“We will undoubtedly defeat the DA’s misguided motion and condemn it to the rubbish bin of history through superior arguments to reaffirm the confidence of the great majority of South Africans in the leadership of President Jacob Zuma and his executive,” it said.