The Constitutional Court has declared May 15 as the date it will hear the application by opposition parties UDM and the EFF to compel a parliamentary vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma to be conducted by secret ballot

The date was confirmed by UDM lawyer Eric Mabuza on Wednesday‚ following a tweet by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa.



President Zuma has opposed the application‚ saying a ruling by the court to effectively force Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete to allow MP’s to vote in secret would subvert the rights of the ANC in parliament.

The actual debate and vote was postponed by Mbete to allow for the ConCourt application to be finalised.

The motion of no confidence is the fifth tabled against Zuma in three years.

TimesLIVE previously reported the Western Cape High Court dismissed an application in 2015 that sought to force the National Assembly to vote on a motion of no confidence by secret ballot.

A majority of 200 plus one would be needed for a motion of no confidence to succeed. The ANC occupies 249 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly‚ and the rest belong to opposition parties‚ reported the Sunday Times.

No motion of no confidence has succeeded because ANC MPs traditionally close ranks around Zuma.