President Jacob Zuma has survived the eighth motion of no confidence brought against him by opposition parties.
The results of the vote in Parliament, held by secret ballot, had Zuma narrowly survive.
A tolal of 384 votes were cast of which 198 voted against the motion tabled by the Democratic Alliance, while 177 MP’s voted in favour of the motion while nine abstained.
Addressing ANC supporters outside Parliament early Wednesday night, President Zuma said he was there to thank the supporters of the ANC and those MP’s who he said “voted correctly.”
He said those MP’s who voted against the DA motion had worked hard to “defend the ANC.”
President Zuma said the ANC represented the majority of South Africans and “they will realise this in 2019”, he said.
It emerged that more than 20 ANC MP’s had voted in favour of the opposition party motion.
UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa said that this showed that Zuma was not in charge of “everybody”.
Earlier, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula lashed out at DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, branding him a “stooge.”
Mbalula said that “we will never surrender the ANC to a stooge.”
But, the DA leader Mmusi Maimane said afterwards that “it became quite clear in the end” that unlike in previous times members of the opposition and members of the ANC stood together against Zuma.
He said the ANC showed that they were “united in corruption”. He said that the campaign to oust President Zuma will go ahead. “I continue to make the call. Jacob Zuma must resign.”
ANC spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, said in reaction that the vote, by secret ballot, “was democracy in action.” He said the motion was defeated even though by a narrow margin.
Kodwa said that ANC was confident that the President Zuma would survive the motion.
