South Africa President Zuma survives no-confidence vote
South Africa’s parliament has voted down a no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma, while a court is hearing a case to reinstate 738 corruption charges against him. Governing party MPs defeated the motion, while Mr Zuma’s office said he would oppose the court case. The opposition was behind both actions, accusing him of taking a […]
South Africa’s parliament has voted down a no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma, while a court is hearing a case to reinstate 738 corruption charges against him.
Governing party MPs defeated the motion, while Mr Zuma’s office said he would oppose the court case. The opposition was behind both actions, accusing him of taking a bribe. Mr Zuma has denied the allegation, linked to a multi-billion dollar arms deal negotiated over a decade ago.
He was first charged in 2005, and fired as deputy president by then-President Thabo Mbeki. After much legal and political wrangling, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped the case in April 2009, and Mr Zuma went on to become president a month later. During a noisy parliamentary session, DA leader Mmusi Maimane described Mr Zuma as a sell-out whose main aim was self-enrichment. South Africa was “spiralling downward, and doing so at an alarmingly fast rate” under his presidency, the party added in a statement.