South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet have temporarily survived an attempt to remove them from office following two motions of "no confidence." The parliament actions were filed against them Wednesday by two opposition parties, the African Transformation Movement Party and the Democratic Alliance. The motions' fate was put off by a 231 to 131 vote.
During the motions' proceedings, the African Transformation Movement alleged that South Africa’s leader incorrectly raised funds for his campaign to head the ruling African National Congress in 2017.
ATM MP Vuyolwethu Zungula called for a postponement until a local court ruled on their application to have a secret ballot on the motion, but the postponement was objected to by members of the National Freedom Party.
“This matter was struck off the roll, so it does not exist...currently,” said Shaik Emam, NFP parliamentary representative, adding, “it simply means that the ATM is not willing to move it today.”
Mapisa Nqakula, South Africa’s Speaker of Parliament ruled to postpone the motion, then the Democratic Alliance party leader tabled the motion against Ramaphosa’s cabinet, which argued that ministers failed to execute their constitutional duties in their portfolios.
The DA’s motion was backed by opposition members, who accused the cabinet of being corrupt and failing to deal with South Africa's rising unemployment rates. Then African National Congress Deputy Chief Whip Dorries Dlakude objected to the motion and accused the DA of attempting to bring back colonial rule.
Political analysts argue the resistance to remove Ramaphosa and his cabinet shows that the ruling ANC still commands majority rule, however division within the party, coupled with resistance from opposition members is going to make the Ramaphosa’s presidential aspirations in the 2024 general elections extremely difficult.
But that doesn't deter ANC's Dlakude from painting critics with the past. "The architects and proponents of South Africa's poverty and inequality are waging a concerted onslaught against our leaders in an effort to keep intact old patterns of social, political, and economic power," He said.