South Africa's Zuma secures vote of confidence for third time

South African President Jacob Zuma has survived a no-confidence vote, the third in less than a year, over what the opposition called “reckless leadership.”

"I think the no's have it," Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lechesa Tsenoli ruled on Thursday, after lawmakers of Zuma's African National Congress (ANC), which controls almost two-thirds of the assembly, voted against the motion.

After a heated debate, 214 lawmakers voted against the motion and 126 voted in favor.

The vote came despite opposition parties calling on ruling ANC lawmakers to remove Zuma.

Earlier on Thursday, Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), urged Zuma to quit power and called on ANC lawmakers to vote him out of office.

“To put it plainly, we can choose Jacob Zuma, or we can choose South Africa," Maimane told parliament, adding, "Many of you have been speaking out against him in recent weeks ... I know that there are men and women in these ANC benches who want to do the right thing."

The no-confidence motion was tabled by the DA, which argued that Zuma had wreaked havoc on South Africa’s “infant democracy” by being involved in various corruption and influence-peddling scandals.

Zuma had managed to weather two previous no-confidence votes. The 74-year-old, who has been in office since 2009, enjoys strong loyalty among ANC lawmakers and many party activists, particularly in rural areas.

SS