DA, EFF pile on pressure to stop Zuma from delivering Sona

Opposition parties have turned up the heat on President Jacob Zuma by trying to ensure he doesn’t deliver the State of the Nation address (Sona) next week – and even his own party is turning against him, according to ANC sources.

The DA yesterday joined the EFF in the campaign to prevent Zuma from delivering his last Sona. DA leader Mmusi Maimane wrote to Speaker Baleka Mbete requesting that Sona be postponed until Zuma vacates the country’s highest office.

Earlier, EFF leader Julius Malema approached Mbete with a request for a no-confidence vote in Zuma. Indications are that the majority of ANC MPs are planning to support the EFF’s motion.

An ANC source close to the discussions said a number of ANC MPs want to teach Zuma a lesson.

“The ANC could be forced to propose an unprecedented motion of no confidence against comrade JZ or we can go against our own tradition by supporting the EFF’s motion,” the ANC source said.

Malema is so confident of the motion’s success that he told Mbete in the letter, dated January 30, that parliament will reasonably reach a different conclusion on the motion than in any other previous attempt to remove Zuma.

He asked Mbete to include the motion of no confidence for discussion in a meeting of leaders of political parties scheduled for February 6. The meeting was initially set to deal solely with Sona.

Zuma could also face impeachment following the Constitutional Court’s ruling that he violated the constitution on the public protector’s report on Nkandla. The constitution’s Section 89 allowed the impeachment, which required a two-thirds vote in parliament.

The court further ordered parliament to formulate rules in terms of Section 89 for a process to impeach Zuma. The EFF, which could disrupt the Sona, want the motion put on the agenda before Sona to ensure Zuma is removed without delivering his speech as he is facing possible impeachment and the 783 corruption charges hanging over his head.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has invited all opposition party leaders to meet tomorrow.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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