We will not withdraw motion of no confidence – EFF
13 February 2018
Cape Town – The EFF says it will not be withdrawing its scheduled motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma to allow the ANC to table its own motion.
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule on Tuesday announced the party's national executive committee (NEC) had agreed to recall Zuma following a marathon 13-hour meeting on Monday.
No deadline has been given to Zuma, but Magashule "expected" an announcement on Wednesday.
EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu told News24 on Tuesday that the party would not be handing over its motion, scheduled for February 22, to the ANC if Zuma chooses to defy his party.
"The most irresponsible thing we'll ever do as the EFF is hand over our motion," Shivambu said in the parliamentary precinct.
"What becomes of our role as members of Parliament or an organisation if we are just going to hand over motions like that to the ruling party?
"We are never going to do that. It is absolutely never going to happen."
Shivambu was adamant that the motion that would eventually remove Zuma from office would be the EFF's, and the ruling party must accept the EFF will be leading the motion.
"The ANC must rally all their members to support the motion, and at least for the first time, Parliament will be 100% unanimous in a motion of no confidence against one individual."
Speaker given 24 hours more to decide on motion date
Responding to the ANC's decision to officially recall Zuma, Shivambu said it was long overdue.
"We raised here in Parliament many incidents [against Zuma].
"We actually even physically tried to stop him [delivering] the State of the Nation Address [in 2017], because we knew this was a delinquent, a criminal only focusing on his own self-interest.
"That is why he can defy his own organisation, the Constitution, Parliament and South African laws.
"And now he is defying his own party."
The EFF had given National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete until 13:00 on Wednesday to respond positively to its request to move the party's motion from its current date to this week.
Shivambu said the EFF had not had a response from the Speaker's office yet.
The party is consulting with its legal team, and will be looking to file a court challenge against Mbete to move the motion up on the agenda "within the next 24 hours".
The ANC caucus confirmed on Wednesday that its MPs would sit to discuss the outcomes of the NEC.
