Zuma Faces Pressure to Resign

The opposition parties in the South African parliament are considering an emergency session to pass a vote of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma.

APA reports that pressure is already building on Zuma to resign.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbeke said in Cape Town that the motion was resulting from his unexplained sacking last week of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.

Briefing reporters, Mbete said her office has received a request from the opposition leaders of the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters for a motion of no confidence in Zuma to be scheduled urgently.

“I decided to cut my working trip to Bangladesh to ensure that these requests are given the appropriate consideration,” she said, adding that the consultation process should take a few days.

“Therefore, as of today, we begin a process of consultations. I envisage that the consultations should be concluded in a matter of days” Mbeke said.

The Speaker returned home on Sunday after cutting her trip to Bangladesh short as her office was cited as a respondent in the matter between the official opposition and the President at the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town.

Taking the issue against Zuma in the House comes after the official opposition sought and failed in court to stop the swearing-in of new ministers at the weekend following the dismissals of Gordhan and four other ministers.

Apart from facing the opposition in Parliament, the social media in the country is awash with messages urging South Africans to stage nationwide protests against Zuma on Friday under the #ZumaMustFall campaign.