At least two opposition parties said they would not support the Democratic Alliance's bid to dissolve parliament and call early elections.
The DA tabled the motion in Parliament on Thursday and it followed the failed motion of no confidence vote on Tuesday in which President Jacob Zuma survived by a narrow margin.
"I have today submitted a motion calling for the National Assembly to be dissolved. This provision is provided for in Section 50(1) of the Constitution.
It was clear to the Nation on Tuesday that the ANC is willing to do anything to protect President Jacob Zuma, and to keep him in power," said John Steenhuisen, DA Chief Whip.
"The DA believes that his presidency is no longer supported by the majority of South Africans and thus, with the ANC having failed to remove him on Tuesday, South Africans need to be given the opportunity to make their voices heard at the polls," he said.
In a statement Thursday, UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa, said that his party does not support the DA motion to dissolve parliament.
"We respect the DA's right to propose motions like any other political party represented in the National Assembly," Holomisa said.
He said what's more important is to ensure that the Electoral Commission is properly capacitated to conduct the 2019 general election.
"The IEC reportedly needs R300 million, as well as access to municipalities' databases to capture voters' addresses before the Constitutional Court deadline of June next year. The IEC must move with speed to ensure that the voters' roll is cleaned and that correct addresses of the electorate are factored in," he said.
Holomisa said the UDM is working towards ending the current government's rule in 2019 and "for that to happen elections need to be credible, free and fair."
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus said it too does not support the DA's move, saying it will only serve to embolden the ANC.
"The outcome of the recent motion of no confidence showed that the ANC MP's are willing to protect the party, despite dissatisfaction with Zuma and state capture," FFPlus leader, Pieter Groenewald said
Groenewald warned the DA to tread carefully or their action might be of benefit to President Zuma and the ANC.
"In general, voters will also start to get discouraged because their expectation that Zuma will be oust is not met. As a result, voters may become apolitical and then they won't vote in 2019 and that will be to the detriment of the opposition parties,"he said
"The anti-Zuma faction now has to ensure that they get rid of Zuma and his followers in December seeing as it really is only the ANC that can get rid of Zuma. Otherwise, we might end up with Zuma as president until in 2019," Groenwald concluded.
