While you were asleep: No-confidence motions sparked controversy in Parliament

A motion of no confidence in the cabinet of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has failed in the National Assembly.

More than half of the members of Parliament voted against the motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa and his cabinet after a long roll-call vote.

“Honourable members, the outcomes are as follows: there’s one abstention, 131 yes, and 231 no. The motion is therefore not agreed to.”

According to the Daily Maverick, Vuyolwethu Zungula, the leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM), did not move his motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa because his party was still in court trying to get a secret vote.

“No member of Parliament may reflect on any case [before court]. There is ongoing litigation… There is no way in which we can still proceed with this vote.”

Chief Whip Shivambu from the EFF supported Zungula by stating that “we know once a secret ballot comes, we will split the ANC vote in half…”

The Daily Maverick reports that the National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was not having it. She said she had been told that this matter was not in a court of law because the Western Cape High Court had refused to hear the ATM case on Monday.

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula ended the session and said further details would be discussed with the programme committee on Thursday.

“Parties having made their comments, I highly appreciate that and thank you very much honourable members. I now rule that we are not proceeding with this matter and the details of what we do next will be dealt with at the programming committee tomorrow, I thank you.”

Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:

SA Business

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Global Business

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Markets

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