Did 35 ANC MPs bunk Parliament to avoid voting to protect Zuma?

Voting records from yesterday’s Motion of No Confidence against President Jacob Zuma, reveal that 35 ANC Members of Parliament did not pitch up to vote.

On a day that the ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe described by saying that ‘MPs who vote with their conscience harm their parties’, it is no coincidence that so many ANC MPs stayed away.

These ANC MPs have voted with their feet, to not tow Luthuli House’s line, and not blindly back Jacob Zuma.

The absent MPs included:

- Pravin Gordhan

- Mathole Motshekga

- Aaron Motsoaledi

- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

- Mike Masutha

- Nomaindia Mfeketo

- Mildred Oliphant

- Pam Tshwete

- Cedrick Frolick, and

- Llewellyn Landers

It is no secret that many of these absent ANC MPs had spoken out against President Zuma, or against his poor leadership of our Country, before the vote.

Mathole Motshekga had said: “The ANC leadership must choose between the president on one hand, and the ANC and the people of South Africa, on the other hand.”

And after the political prosecution of Pravin Gordhan, it was Aaron Motsoaledi who said: “It’s not because it’s Pravin, but because I don’t believe this should happen to anybody.”

Mam’Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has said of President Zuma: “The kind of introspection we need will need a whole layer of fresh leadership…” adding “where did we go so wrong?”

While all ANC MPs in the National Assembly yesterday voted to protect Jacob Zuma rather than voting to put South Africa first, the absent ANC MPs could clearly not stomach the unconscionable act of protecting Jacob Zuma.

The DA will be requesting the record of Leave applications for these 35 ANC MPs, to uncover the reasons for their absence.

That Jacob Zuma personally attended yesterday’s ANC caucus meeting before the Motion of No Confidence, and himself admonished ANC MPs to not support the motion, shows that the ANC of Jacob Zuma does as Jacob Zuma commands.

All pronouncements from the ANC, and the voting record from yesterday in the National Assembly, show that the ANC is Jacob Zuma, and Jacob Zuma is the ANC, and that no moves in public against Zuma will be tolerated by Luthuli House. It is clear that the ANC cannot and will not act against Zuma, despite his severely compromised position.

This is why the real hope for removing Jacob Zuma and his ANC is through the ballot box.

Come Election 2019, the DA stands ready to lead the charge for their removal through the peaceful and democratic will of the people.

Statement issued by Phumzile Van Damme MP, DA National Spokesperson, 11 November 2016