Motion to impeach Jacob Zuma to go before parliament

South Africa’s parliament will debate tomorrow a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said yesterday, after a top court ruled the president had violated the constitution.

South Africa’s constitutional court ruled on Thursday that Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution by ignoring orders from the public protector that he repay some of the $16m in state funds spent to renovate his residence at Nkandla.

Since Thursday’s ruling, opposition party leaders, ordinary South Africans and even an anti-apartheid activist jailed alongside Nelson Mandela have called on Zuma to step down.

Mmusi Maimane, leader of the opposition party Democratic Alliance, tabled the motion to have Zuma impeached, and Mbete told reporters “the debate on that motion has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.”

The Africa National Congress majority in parliament will almost certainly give Zuma political cover against the attempt to impeach him. But the judicial rebuke may embolden anti-Zuma factions within the ruling party to mount a challenge.

* Reuters