ANC MPs have been threatened by ‘senior ANC officials’ to vote against a motion of no confidence in president Jacob Zuma, or face disciplinary action from the party.<\/p>\n
Speaking to EWN<\/a><\/strong>, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said that ANC MPs were under immense pressure, being\u00a0lobbied by opposition parties to vote with them to unseat Zuma, while being threatened by senior ANC officials to vote against the motion.<\/p>\n Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, shot down a request from the UDM on Friday that votes in the motion be cast via secret ballot, saying that no provision in the House rules or the constitution has been made allowing for a secret vote.<\/p>\n There was also no legal basis for it, she said. However, UDM leader\u00a0Bantu Holomisa has threatened to take the matter to court. The vote is set to take place on 18 April 2017.<\/p>\n Opposition parties frequently request that secret ballots take place, to allow ANC MPs to vote with their consciences without fear of facing backlash from their party. The ANC in parliament vote in one voice, as directed by the party.<\/p>\n This marks the first time that the party’s leaders in parliament have spoken openly about the threats that they face from branches within the party.<\/p>\n Former president Kgalema Motlanthe has criticised the threats, saying that voting against your own party in parliament is not a breach of conduct, and MPs should not face any punishment for doing do.<\/p>\n