TheCable

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has survived another no-confidence vote in the country’s parliament.

The motion, which was held in secret on Tuesday, was defeated by 198 votes to 177.

The African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties were at loggerheads before proceeding with the vote.

The 75-year-old won the presidential election in 2009 and 2014, but became globally popular, not for his role in leading the country into economic prosperity, but for criminal investigations and corruption allegations.

The scandal-hit president has, so far, survived several no-confidence votes due to these accusations.

Mmusi Maimane, the opposition leader, in an emotional speech that opened the debate, said, “the choice before us is a simple one. Either we allow one family, aided and abetted by the President to take everything from us or on behalf of the people of South Africa we take our country back.

“Today our choice is between right and wrong; between good and evil.”

Doris Dlakude, deputy chief whip of the ANC in the national assembly, had urged her members to support Zuma saying, “This debate is about our integrity as the governing party”.

She further said the opposition’s aim was to “sow seeds of chaos in society to ultimately grab power”.