Speaker of the national assembly Baleka Mbete has confirmed that another vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma will be heard in parliament.<\/p>\n
In a letter responding to a request by the EFF, Mbete informed EFF leader Julius Malema that she had decided to schedule their requested motion of no confidence in the president for 22 February 2018, parliament said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“The determination had taken into account the Programme of the National Assembly, including the State of the Nation Address, debate on the Address, the President\u2019s reply to the debate and the tabling of the national budget on 21 February. Ms Mbete had also consulted relevant stakeholders,” the statement said.<\/p>\n
Mbete also confirmed that she had no power to accede to the DA\u2019s request to postpone the State of the Nation Address.<\/p>\n
“Ms Mbete explained that the President, as head of State and Government, had exercised powers vested in him in terms of the Constitution (section 84(2)(d), read together with Joint Rule 7(1), when he called on Parliament to convene the State of the Nation Address,” the statement said.<\/p>\n
“The Joint Programme Committee had also further ratified the convening of the Address, at its meeting on 16 November 2017,” it said.<\/p>\n
In August 2017, President Zuma survived the first secret-ballot vote of no confidence against him. Following a two-hour debate and lengthy voting process, 198 MPs voted against the Democratic Alliance’s bid to remove Zuma, while 177 voted for it.<\/p>\n
A simple majority of 201 votes is required to remove Zuma as president.<\/p>\n