DA's motion of no confidence

11 January 2016

The Office of the ANC Chief Whip notes the decision by the Speaker of the National Assembly to agree to the DA’s request for a debate on the motion of no confidence against the President. The Constitution affords parliamentary parties the right to propose motions of no confidence in the President, even if they are frivolous or there is no factual motivation to do so, as exemplified by the current DA motion and many others the party previously tabled.

A motions of no confidence is supposed to serve as a powerful and critical tool of oversight that Parliament has over the executive. But over a period of time the DA has abused, misused and trivialised this type of motion merely to score few headlines, hence today it has lost significance. The DA has turned this powerful parliamentary oversight mechanism into a trite ritual that very few in our society, rather than take seriously, correctly see it as a waste of parliament's valuable time. Insofar as the motion of no confidence is concerned, the DA is guilty of devaluing and making a mockery of one of the most powerful functions Parliament possesses in terms of the constitution.

The ANC stands ready to reaffirm the confidence of the great majority of South Africans in the leadership of President Jacob Zuma and his executive through superior arguments, as we have consistently done in
the past.

Issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, 11 January 2016