JOHANNESBURG – President Jacob Zuma survived a no-confidence vote Tuesday in the seventh and most serious attempt to unseat him after months of growing anger in South Africa over alleged corruption and a sinking economy. But his African National Congress party, which has ruled since the end of apartheid, continued to fracture.

The latest vote to try to dislodge Zuma was the first held by secret ballot after parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete made the surprise decision to allow it. Opposition parties hoped it would encourage ANC legislators to vote against Zuma without fear of retaliation.

Instead, ANC members in the chamber began singing shortly before the results were announced, while supporters outside started to dance.

A jubilant Zuma, who would have had to resign with his Cabinet if the motion had succeeded, promised the ANC would win the next election in 2019 “in a big number once again.” He dismissed “propaganda” that said his party no longer has the people’s support. Then he broke into song.

“We will never endorse or vote in favor of any motion that seeks to cripple our country,” the ANC said, calling the vote an attempt to remove the party from power.

Of the 384 votes cast, 177 were in favor of the no-confidence motion and 198 were against, with nine abstentions. The no-confidence motion needed 201 votes to succeed.

Dozens of ANC members ended up supporting the no-confidence motion, as the ruling party holds 249 of the 400 parliament seats, five of them currently vacant. Some party members denounced those who voted against Zuma as sellouts, and chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the party would consider disciplining them.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party said after the vote that “the majority of the ANC have chosen corruption, looting” over the country’s interests. Its no-confidence motion said Zuma had “lost all sense of rationality and sound judgment,” harming the country’s poorest citizens. More than a quarter of the country’s workers are unemployed.

Widespread frustration over Zuma has hurt the ANC, the former liberation movement of Nelson Mandela that has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule and the first all-race elections in 1994. Some longtime party members and anti-apartheid activists have openly called on Zuma to go.

On Tuesday, former President Thabo Mbeki said ANC lawmakers must “recall that they are the representatives of the people,” according to a video posted by a Nairobi-based journalist on Twitter.

Many predicted the vote would fail, saying most members of the decades-old party would hesitate to make any major leadership changes initiated by the opposition.

“For me, it’s among the biggest reasons for the failure of African liberation movements, this misplaced loyalty to the end for the sake of holding it together,” said William Gumede, executive chairman of the Johannesburg-based Democracy Works Foundation.

Demonstrations both for and against the 75-year-old Zuma, who has led South Africa since 2009, took place in front of the parliament building in Cape Town before the vote.

“As you can see, thousands of people have reached the end of their tether in terms of what is happening in our beautiful country, our beautiful, diverse country that we should enjoy but we can’t enjoy because millions of our people are without jobs,” said one protester, Johnnie Jacobs.

“We have got to get rid of this man before he destroys everything that we have all worked so hard for,” said another protester, Anne Shirley.

While Zuma’s term continues until elections in 2019, there have been calls from within the ANC for him to quit earlier and allow the party to build up support before the vote. The party is expected to replace Zuma as ANC president at a meeting in December.

The reputation of Zuma, who spent a decade in prison for his anti-apartheid activities and has been popular among some South Africans for his personal warmth and populist policies, has been tarnished by allegations of impropriety.

Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously that Zuma “failed to uphold” the constitution by not paying back some of the $20 million-plus in state money used to upgrade his rural home. Zuma’s ties to the Gupta family, immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate government leaders and state companies for financial gain, also have stirred public anger.

The president’s firing of widely respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan in a Cabinet reshuffle in March led two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s, to lower South Africa’s credit rating to below investment grade, or junk status.</s>Cape Town (AFP) - South African President Jacob Zuma faces a no-confidence vote by secret ballot in parliament Tuesday, with opponents hoping that discontented ANC lawmakers could help oust him from office.

Criticism of Zuma from within the African National Congress (ANC) has grown over corruption scandals and economic woes, and the celebrated party of Nelson Mandela has declined sharply at the polls.

But the ANC -- which holds a large majority in parliament -- welcomed the decision to hold the vote by secret ballot and said it expected the no-confidence motion to fail.

Several opposition parties will lead a protest to the national assembly in Cape Town on Tuesday ahead of the parliamentary session due to begin at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT).

"ANC MPs now have no excuse. They must use their vote... to remove Jacob Zuma," the main opposition Democratic Alliance party said after the speaker of parliament made a surprise decision Monday to hold the ballot in secret.

Zuma has easily survived several previous parliamentary votes held without secret balloting.

A 201-vote majority would be needed to remove him from power, and the ANC holds 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament. His cabinet would also be forced to resign.

"It's a long shot to expect a significant number of ANC MPs to vote against their own party and let the opposition claim this big political scalp," independent analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.

Zuma, 75, is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, and as president before the 2019 general election -- lessening pressure for his party to trigger imminent change.

The secret ballot has been subject to a long legal battle waged by opposition parties, who hope that ANC lawmakers will now be emboldened to vote against him without fear of intimidation.

Last week ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu acknowledged recent criticism of the party, including the impact of a cabinet reshuffle in March when respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan was replaced with a Zuma loyalist.

Gordhan's sacking led to a string of downgrades to South Africa's credit rating as well as causing the rand currency to tumble.

Public support for the ANC, which swept to power under Mandela in the first non-racial elections in 1994, slipped to 55 percent in last year's local polls -- its worst-ever result.

A handful of MPs, including Gordhan, have joined calls from anti-apartheid veterans and trade unions for Zuma to resign, as South Africa endures record unemployment and a recession.

Zuma has been engulfed by corruption allegations since coming to office in 2009.

A court last year found him guilty of violating the constitution after he refused to repay taxpayers' money used to refurbish his private rural house.

He has been accused of being in the sway of the wealthy Gupta business family, allegedly granting them influence over government appointments, contracts and state-owned businesses.

He is also fighting a court order that could reinstate almost 800 corruption charges against him over a multi-billion dollar arms deal in the 1990s.

Zuma is seen as favouring his ex-wife, former African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to succeed him ahead of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.</s>Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete has given the go-ahead for a secret ballot in Tuesday's debate on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

Making the announcement on Monday afternoon‚ Mbete said she had taken "due and impartial consideration of all the factors" in making her decision.

She said she was mindful of the fact that a motion of no confidence was a "powerful tool towards holding the president to account" and that MPs were obliged to to act in accordance with the Constitution above party allegiances.

Mbete said while it was important that Parliament was seen to be conducting its business in an open and transparent way‚ the people of South Africa "look to Parliament for symbols of hope".

She said by allowing a secret ballot‚ Parliament would "use the opportunity to show responsiveness to our people".

Mbete said she believed her decision was "in the best interests of our country" and would put "the resilience of the democratic institution to the test".

She also said she had considered the "toxified and highly charged environment" and threats made to MPs who chose to vote according to their conscience.

She added she would not recuse herself from the debate on the motion of no confidence as she found claims that she could not be impartial to be "reprehensible and unpalatable".

Despite calling a press conference to make the announcement‚ Mbete said there would be no opportunity for questions.

In June‚ the Constitutional Court ruled there was scope in the parliamentary rules for a secret ballot‚ and ordered Mbete to make the decision.

The matter was taken to court by the United Democratic Movement.

At the weekend‚ Mbete told the Sunday Times that she had not been delaying making the decision‚ but that it had been a difficult process.

The debate on the motion will take place at 2pm on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday‚ constitutional activist Lawson Naidoo said Mbete's delay in announcing her decision on the no-confidence ballot "smacks of arrogance".

Addressing the Cape Town Press Club‚ Naidoo‚ the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution‚ said that had Mbete taken a decision shortly after receiving political party submissions on July 14‚ it would have been difficult to argue that her decision was irrational because there was a "strong argument for openness and transparency" in the way in which Parliament conducted its business.

But‚ he said, the 46-day delay "calls into question her bona fides", especially given threats of violence against and intimidation of MPs.

Naidoo also questioned Mbete's ability to remain neutral in the debate.

In July‚ Mbete told the media on the sidelines of the ANC policy conference: "It’s really of no major material basis that technically the votes would be either secret or not, because at the end of the day‚ ANC MPs know how to vote. They have done it seven times. So this eighth time can’t be different‚ it doesn’t matter whether it is secret or no secret."

Lawson said: "So, having instructed MPs how to vote‚ she will then preside over the debate."</s>South Africa's parliament will vote by secret ballot Tuesday on a motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma, the legislative body's speaker announced.

Monday's surprise announcement on the vote, which could end Zuma's presidency, was made by National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete at a news conference in Cape Town. She said her decision shows that parliament is responsive to the public.

"The people of South Africa look to parliament to give direction in challenging times. The people of South Africa also look to parliament for signals of hope," said Mbete, a longtime Zuma ally.

Mosiuoa Lekota, leader of the opposition Congress of the People, described the secret ballot as "groundbreaking."

"It places the responsibility of the motion of no confidence squarely on the shoulders of the men and women who sit in the National Assembly," Lekota told reporters.

Scores of anti-Zuma protesters marched through Cape Town to the parliament building Monday. Larger demonstrations, both for and against Zuma, are planned for Tuesday at the parliament building before the vote.

Opposition parties have lobbied for months for an anonymous no-confidence vote to provide cover to disgruntled members of Zuma's African National Congress who may fear coming out against their leader in an open ballot.

The motion, which was introduced by the opposition Democratic Alliance, needs 201 out of 400 votes to succeed. The ANC holds 246 parliamentary seats, but several members have already indicated publicly that they will vote against Zuma.

In June, the nation's highest court said it was up to the speaker of parliament to decide whether the vote could be done by secret ballot.

Zuma, dogged by corruption scandals and waning popularity, has faced public calls for his resignation by leading members of his own party, the African National Congress. The ANC has told its lawmakers to vote against the motion, intending to use its parliamentary majority to back Zuma, as it has in earlier attempts to oust him.

"Voting in favor of this motion will be tantamount to throwing a nuclear bomb at our country," an Aug. 4 statement from the office of ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu said.

In recent weeks, two ANC lawmakers who publicly said they intended to vote against Zuma were quickly censured by the party. Zuma has survived six earlier no- confidence votes since becoming president in 2009.</s>Jacob Zuma has performed a war dance to rallies his party to support him in a no confidence vote today.

Members of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) pledged to back the President ahead of the secret ballot in parliament today.

Protesters have urged MPs to get rid of the man who they say has 'impoverished' the nation.

Zuma, who also attended the meeting, was described as being calm and jovial by the party's chief whip Jackson Mthembu. Several ANC politicians could be heard singing as they walked out of the meeting having agreed to support Zuma, he said.

'You hear the singing,' Mthembu told eNCA television channel. 'Zuma was toyi toying (dancing), that is what we do when we are under attack,' Mthembu said.

Toyi-toyi is a Southern African dance originallyused by Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) forces that has long been used in political protests in South Africa.

Zuma, who has held power since 2009, has struggled to fend off accusations of corruption and mismanaging the economy and if the vote was to carry, he would have to relinquish office.

The parliamentary speaker on Monday ruled it would be a secret ballot -- a decision the opposition hoped would embolden ANC members who are unhappy with Zuma to vote against him.

The rand, bonds and banking shares surged on that news, buoyed by the prospect of Zuma's removal. On Tuesday, the rand gained another half a percent largely due to weakness in the dollar, with traders also buying options in the local currency to bag profits should the motion fail.

Zuma has upset investors, in particular by removing finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March. The country's credit rating was downgraded to junk by two of the top three rating agencies, unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7 percent and the economy is back in recession.

The ANC has 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament and the opposition controls 151, so it would take 50 ANC lawmakers backing the opposition to vote Zuma and his cabinet out.

The party, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, is deeply divided and several ANC lawmakers have voiced criticism of Zuma.

But ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said that at a meeting before the parliamentary session, the party resolved to support him. Several ANC lawmakers left the meeting singing.

'You hear the singing,' Mthembu told eNCA television channel. 'Zuma was toyi-toying (dancing), that is what we do when we are under attack.'

Zuma was described as being calm and jovial the meeting, but did not address the lawmakers.

On the streets, protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and rocks in the commercial hub Johannesburg and capital Pretoria, temporarily blocking traffic.

If THE VOTE SUCCEEDS... WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AND WHO COULD REPLACE ZUMA? If MPs vote to oust Zuma (right, with former President Mandela in 2000), he and his entire Cabinet have to resign If MPs vote to oust Zuma, he and his entire Cabinet have to resign. The National Assembly will then have 30 days to elect a new leader from its members, during which time the Speaker becomes the acting president. The new president will most likely be from the ruling ANC party because they have the majority. He or she would be free to re-appoint the same Cabinet ministers who served under Zuma. The ruling party remains in government unless it fails to elect a new leader, in which case new general elections will have to be held. His potential successors include Cyril 'The Negotiator' Ramaphosa, a trade unionist-turned-business mogul once considered favourite to replace Nelson Mandela in 1999. The 64-year-old has strong anti-apartheid struggle credentials and has stayed largely clear of corruption scandals, ENCA reports. An astute negotiator, Ramaphosa was a senior member of the ANC delegation in historic talks which led to the country's first democratic elections in 1994. He was also involved in the drafting of the country's constitution in 1996 and though he lacks Zuma's charisma, he appeals to the corporate world who see him as a steady hand with a business background. Another contender is the current president's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She was South Africa's first post-apartheid health minister under Mandela and is seen by many as a strong contender, although she is currently not a member of parliament. Despite her sterling career in government and the ANC, Dlamini Zuma is not widely popular among ordinary South Africans. She was married to Zuma for 16 years and they divorced in 1998, after having four children. Her association with the Zuma name could make or break her rise to the top. Another contender is the current president's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa's first post-apartheid health minister ANC treasurer general Zweli 'The Strategist' Mkhize is seen as a dark horse among possible successors. The 61-year-old is a close Zuma ally and is described as a skillful operator who holds the purse strings of the party. As the person in charge of ANC funds, Mkhize was forced to explain the party's financial dealings through its 25 percent stake in Hitachi Power Africa. Speaker Baleka Mbete, 67, rose to prominence in when she was appointed South Africa's deputy president after the sudden recall of President Thabo Mbeki. She has presided over shambolic parliamentary sessions, struggling to maintain order among opposition benches during rowdy and occasionally violent debates. Mbete is a senior member of the ANC Women's League and a former teacher from the Eastern Cape province But opposition party Democratic Alliance has called for her resignation as speaker of parliament, accusing her of not being impartial. ANC treasurer general Zweli 'The Strategist' Mkhize (right) and Speaker Baleka Mbete (left) are seen as a dark horse among possible successors

In Cape Town, where parliament is located, thousands of opposition supporters held a rally, carrying posters saying 'Fire Zuma' and a cartoon of Zuma in a dustbin.

'Go, Zuma go!' the leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, Mmusi Maimane, called out to the crowd.

'We will vote this afternoon to make sure he leaves.'

Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), said: 'We are here to reclaim our country.'

ANC members also rallied in Cape Town to support Zuma, some carrying placards saying: 'Zuma must stay'.

ANC's Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said the no-confidence motion was attack against the party.

'It's about removing the ANC from power in a non-democratic way, therefore MPs have a responsibility to defend the ANC,' Mantashe said.

Yesterday, Anti-Zuma protesters gathered outside the parliament in Cape Town

A group of ANC veterans from the anti-apartheid struggle also called for MPs to vote against Zuma, who was himself imprisoned with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island under white-minority rule.

South Africa is 'witness to larceny on a grand scale, leaving the country not only impoverished, but also increasingly in the hands of criminalised and compromised governance,' the ANC veterans said.

Newspaper headlines reflected the high stakes at play - 'JZ's moment of truth' read The Star, while The Sowetan declared: 'High Noon for Zuma'. Parliament was due to begin debating the motion at around 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), ahead of the vote.

Zuma has survived eight no-confidence votes during his eight years in power thanks to loyal voting by ANC lawmakers, but those votes were not secret.

ANC lawmaker Derek Hanekom, who was removed as tourism minister in the cabinet reshuffle that cost Gordhan his job, said on Twitter that lawmakers must vote against 'massive looting and corruption. Vote for change'.

Nomura analyst Peter Attard Montalto said the decision to have a secret ballot was 'a significant surprise' but he expected Zuma to survive.

'We still expect the vote to fail, but attach a 30 percent chance of success,' he said.

RAPE ALLEGATIONS, POLYGAMY AND FINANCIAL CHAOS: HOW ZUMA'S REIGN HAS CRIPPLED SOUTH AFRICA By Andrew Malone for the Daily Mail Under Jacob Zuma, unemployment is 90 per cent in some townships, and riots are so widespread and frequent they barely get reported. Crime is rampant — with more than 50 murders a day, many sadistic and barbaric — while South Africa is shamed by an appalling record on rape, with a woman sexually assaulted every 23 seconds. The economy is undoubtedly in peril after government bonds were downgraded to junk status. Under Jacob Zuma, unemployment is 90 per cent in some townships, and riots are so widespread and frequent they barely get reported. Crime is rampant, while South Africa is shamed by an appalling record on rape, with a woman sexually assaulted every 23 seconds. Pictured: Zuma with his ex-wife Nompumelelo Ntuli in 2008 Once a net exporter of food — as neighbouring Zimbabwe was before Robert Mugabe seized land from whites in a programme of 'racial transformation' — the country is now forced to rely on imports to feed the population. Certainly, Jacob Zuma does not inspire confidence when it comes to running what has long been regarded as Africa's superpower. Born in Nkandla in 1942, the site of famous battles with British forces in the late-19th century, he was raised in a traditional village. His father, a policeman and village chief, was an adviser to a local Zulu king. As a boy, Zuma herded cattle, collected wild honey and hunted small animals with a spear. He was arrested aged 21 for conspiring to overthrow the government and served ten years on Robben Island — alongside Mandela — in the infamous jail. Born in Nkandla in 1942, the site of famous battles with British forces in the late-19th century, Zuma (pictured with ex-president Thabo Mbeki) was raised in a traditional village When Nelson Mandela was released in 1990, after 27 years in prison, Zuma returned to South Africa and became deputy president. He served under Thabo Mbeki from 1999 until he was forced out amid corruption allegations in 2005. He became the nation's fourth black president in 2009. Zuma is now fabulously rich, with a personal fortune estimated at between £15 million and £100 million. How he has acquired this wealth is of particular interest to his opponents. He has been accused of taking huge bribes in an arms deal, and could face up to 783 charges. Zuma has had six wives and 22 children and has been linked with numerous other women. In 2005, when he was accused of raping the daughter of an ANC friend, he denied the charges, claiming it was consensual and it was his duty as a 'Zulu warrior' to have sex with a woman if she wore a short kanga — an African wrap — and he could not leave her 'unfulfilled'. Zuma (picture with Queen Elizabeth in 1999) was arrested aged 21 for conspiring to overthrow the government and served ten years on Robben Island — alongside Mandela — in the infamous jail His credibility was further tarnished in March 2016 when South Africa's highest court ruled that, by failing to repay government money used on upgrading his residence, he had violated the constitution. The extravagant renovation included the building of a cattle enclosure, amphitheater, swimming pool, visitor centre and chicken run. He always denied charges of money-laundering and racketeering, stemming from a controversial $5bn arms deal signed in 1999 and had said he would resign if found guilty of wrong-doing.

If the motion is successful, Zuma - whose term is due to run until 2019 - would be removed as president but would remain as ANC leader until December, when he is due to step down and a new leader elected in his place.

Should he be forced to quit, the speaker would take over and the National Assembly would be expected to elect a new president within 30 days.

As the largest party in parliament, the ANC would be expected to select the new president and government.

The ANC -- once all-powerful as heir of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle -- has lost popularity under Zuma, underscored by its worst electoral showing in over two decades of power in local elections last year. Thousands of people took part in protest marches in April calling for Zuma to step down.</s>In voting to defeat a parliamentary motion of no confidence in Jacob Zuma, African National Congress MPs have merely postponed the president’s day of reckoning. The internal party battle to succeed the weakened and unpopular leader is likely to intensify, while South Africa’s chronic economic problems and public disillusionment with the ANC, in power since 1994, seem certain to grow.

Zuma’s survival could be short-lived. He is immersed in spiralling allegations of corruption, mismanagement and personal financial wrongdoing. One of the most notorious is the 2010 purchase of a family home on the exclusive Waterkloof Ridge, overlooking Pretoria. Leaked documents suggest part of the the 5.24m South African rand (£300,000) used to purchase the property came from the Gupta business empire, which is at the heart of the “state capture” scandal.

Zuma potentially faces criminal charges over allegations he received kickbacks linked to government contracts and tenders. Julius Malema, leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters and a high-profile ANC defector, personally lodged charges against Zuma and the Guptas at Johannesburg central police station in June, alleging a huge fraud.

“We’re here because we’re protecting the poor African masses,” Malema said. “We want to protect the South African purse, which Zuma and his friends have turned into a personal purse.”

Ongoing controversy over “state capture” – when private individuals and businesses exert undue influence over government policy – will not evaporate simply because Zuma has survived. Nor will the complaints that triggered Tuesday’s vote: that the president showed “reckless and irrational behaviour” in managing the economy and in sacking successive finance ministers Pravin Gordhan and Nhlanhla Nene.

“[Zuma’s] derelict leadership has resulted in a collapse of public confidence in the president … and ultimately undermined efforts to restore confidence in the South African economy,” the leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane, said in proposing the vote.

Maimane’s grim verdict is broadly shared by South Africa’s powerful trade union federation, Cosatu, church leaders, student and academic bodies, and by South African businesses. The value of the rand rose and shares rallied after Monday’s announcement that the vote would be a secret ballot, since that was thought to increase its chances of success. A corresponding negative market reaction can now be expected. The economy is already in dire straits. It slid into recession in March and was downgraded to junk status by two ratings agencies.

The vote’s outcome is a mixed blessing for the ANC. On the one hand, it has maintained a facade of unity and avoided handing the opposition its biggest victory since the beginning of majority rule. On the other hand, the party is now a badly damaged brand, riven by deep fissures and seemingly out of touch with voters. A divisive internal backlash against any ANC MPs who voted to dump Zuma is likely to follow, even though votes were cast anonymously.

The ANC is due to select a replacement leader in December. Zuma will continue as state president until 2019 unless, like his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, he is forced to quit early. But there is no agreement on who should follow Zuma as party chief. It is possible the vote could be brought forward if his position weakens further.

Half a dozen candidates are jostling for position. They include Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma’s deputy; Lindiwe Sisulu; Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the president’s former wife; and the speaker of parliament, Baleka Mbete, whose stock has risen following her handling of the ballot. Intense politicking within the ANC hierarchy over the next few months is likely to distract attention from the country’s problems and add to instability.

Disaffection among ANC voters also looks set to increase after the mass anti-Zuma street protests of recent months, with many tempted to abandon the party entirely. This trend is already underway, as evidenced by last year’s municipal election results, when support for the ANC fell to its lowest level since 1994.

The first, big challenge facing Zuma’s successor as ANC leader will be to stop the rot. But analysts predict that if the anti-Zuma faction’s candidate fails to get its top job, the party will split before the 2019 general election.</s>In the build-up to today’s much-anticipated secret ballot no-confidence vote in President Jacob Zuma, the EFF’s advocate Dali Mpofu took to Twitter to couch the vote as a choice between South Africa and the ruling party.

He reminded people that Zuma had said the ANC “is more important than South Africa” while speaking in 2015, a comment that evoked much criticism.

Mpofu said that today’s vote would determine if his comrades in parliament agreed with him.

The EFF has gone to great lengths to say that they do not see today’s vote as an anti-ANC matter, merely a motion against a man who was found by the Constitutional Court to have broken his oath of office.

Outspoken ANC member and former tourism minister Derek Hanekom has also been vocal since the secret ballot was announced. He sees a no vote against Zuma as a vote against state capture, massive looting and corruption. He added that he was expecting enough ANC MPs to do the “right thing”.

“I also have confidence that ANC MPs will do the right thing, and serve their country and Constitution.”

The DA and other opposition parties also welcomed the secret ballot and described it as a unique opportunity for MPs to vote as they truly felt for the first time.

Some on Twitter are already predicting how Zuma is likely to celebrate though after surviving yet another motion of no confidence (his eighth in eight years).</s>Opposition supporters march ahead of the vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma in Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2017. — Reuters picJOHANNESBURG, Aug 8 — Lawmakers in South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) pledged to back President Jacob Zuma in a no-confidence motion in parliament on Tuesday, aiming to thwart opposition efforts to force him out.

Zuma, who has held power since 2009, has struggled to fend off accusations of corruption and mismanaging the economy and if the vote was to carry, he would have to relinquish office.

The parliamentary speaker on Monday ruled it would be a secret ballot — a decision the opposition hoped would embolden ANC members who are unhappy with Zuma to vote against him.

The rand, bonds and banking shares surged on that news, buoyed by the prospect of Zuma's removal. Today, the rand gained another half a percent largely due to weakness in the dollar, with traders also buying options in the local currency to bag profits should the motion fail.

Zuma has upset investors, in particular by removing finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March. The country's credit rating was downgraded to junk by two of the top three rating agencies, unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7 percent and the economy is back in recession.

The ANC has 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament and the opposition controls 151, so it would take 50 ANC lawmakers backing the opposition to vote Zuma and his cabinet out.

The party, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, is deeply divided and several ANC lawmakers have voiced criticism of Zuma.

But ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said that at a meeting before the parliamentary session, the party resolved to support him. Several ANC lawmakers left the meeting singing.

“You hear the singing,” Mthembu told eNCA television channel. “Zuma was toyi-toying (dancing), that is what we do when we are under attack.”

Zuma was described as being calm and jovial the meeting, but did not address the lawmakers.

On the streets, protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and rocks in the commercial hub Johannesburg and capital Pretoria, temporarily blocking traffic.

In Cape Town, where parliament is located, thousands of opposition supporters held a rally, carrying posters saying "Fire Zuma" and a cartoon of Zuma in a dustbin.

“Go, Zuma go!” the leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, Mmusi Maimane, called out to the crowd.

“We will vote this afternoon to make sure he leaves.”

Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), said: “We are here to reclaim our country.”

ANC members also rallied in Cape Town to support Zuma, some carrying placards saying: “Zuma must stay”.

ANC's Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said the no-confidence motion was attack against the party.

“It's about removing the ANC from power in a non-democratic way, therefore MPs have a responsibility to defend the ANC,” Mantashe said.

Newspaper headlines reflected the high stakes at play — “JZ's moment of truth” read The Star, while The Sowetan declared: “High Noon for Zuma”. Parliament was due to begin debating the motion at around 2pm (2000 in Malaysia), ahead of the vote.

Zuma has survived eight no-confidence votes during his eight years in power thanks to loyal voting by ANC lawmakers, but those votes were not secret.

ANC lawmaker Derek Hanekom, who was removed as tourism minister in the cabinet reshuffle that cost Gordhan his job, said on Twitter that lawmakers must vote against “massive looting and corruption. Vote for change”.

Nomura analyst Peter Attard Montalto said the decision to have a secret ballot was "a significant surprise" but he expected Zuma to survive.

“We still expect the vote to fail, but attach a 30 percent chance of success,” he said.

If the motion is successful, Zuma — whose term is due to run until 2019 — would be removed as president but would remain as ANC leader until December, when he is due to step down and a new leader elected in his place.

Should he be forced to quit, the speaker would take over and the National Assembly would be expected to elect a new president within 30 days.

As the largest party in parliament, the ANC would be expected to select the new president and government.

The ANC — once all-powerful as heir of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle — has lost popularity under Zuma, underscored by its worst electoral showing in over two decades of power in local elections last year. Thousands of people took part in protest marches in April calling for Zuma to step down. — Reuters</s>Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete has given the go ahead for a secret ballot on tomorrow’s Motion of No Confidence debate against President Jacob Zuma.

Making the announcement‚ Mbete said she had taken “due and impartial consideration of all the factors” in making her decision.

She said she was mindful of the fact that a motion of no confidence was a “powerful tool towards holding the president to account” and that MPs are obliged to to act in accordance with the Constitution above party allegiances.

Mbete said while it was important that parliament was seen to be conducting its business in an open and transparent way‚ the people of South Africa “look to Parliament for symbols of hope”.

She said by allowing for a secret ballot‚ they would “use the opportunity to show responsiveness to our people”.

Mbete said she believed her decision was “in the best interests of our country” and would put “the resilience of the democratic institution to the test”.

Mbete said she had given consideration to the “toxified and highly charged environment” as well as to threats to MPs choosing to vote with their consciences in making her decision.

She added she would not recuse herself from the motion of no confidence as she found claims that she could not be impartial to be “reprehensible and unpalatable”.

Despite calling a press conference to make the announcement‚ Mbete said there would be no opportunity for questions.

In June‚ the Constitutional Court ruled that there was scope in the Parliamentary rules for a secret ballot‚ and ordered Mbete to make the decision.

The matter was taken to court by the United Democratic Movement.

At the weekend‚ Mbete told the Sunday Times that she had not been delaying making the decision‚ but that it had been a difficult process.

The motion will take place at 2 pm tomorrow (Tuesday 8 August 2017).

Earlier on Monday‚ constitutional activist Lawson Naidoo said Mbete’s delay in announcing her decision on the no confidence ballot “smacks of arrogance”.

Addressing the Cape Town Press Club this afternoon‚ Naidoo‚ the executive secretary for the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution‚ said that had Mbete taken a decision shortly after receiving political party submissions on July 14‚ it would have been difficult to argue that her decision was irrational because there was a “strong argument for openness and transparency” in the way in which Parliament conducts its business.

But‚ he said the 46 day delay‚ “calls into question her bona fides” especially given threats of violence and intimidation of MPs.

Naidoo also questioned Mbete’s ability to remain neutral in the debate.

In July‚ Mbete told media on the sidelines of the ANC policy conference‚ “It’s really of no major material basis that technically the votes would be either secret or not because at the end of the day‚ ANC MPs know how to vote. They have done it seven times. So this eighth time can’t be different‚ it doesn’t matter whether is secret or no secret.”

Lawson said: “So having instructed MPs how to vote‚ she will then preside over the debate.”</s>South Africa’s President Zuma faces a motion of no-confidence as MPs vote in a secret ballot shortly.

Opposition parties believe that MPs from the governing African National Congress (ANC) would be more likely to vote against the president if their vote is secret.

Rival protests have been held in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, where the vote will take place.

Mr Zuma has so far survived seven no-confidence votes – none held in secret.

The parliament’s speaker, Baleka Mbete, made the decision to hold the vote in secret on Monday, after opposition parties took the case to the Constitutional Court.

The debate in parliament is under way, with the opposition parties pleading with ANC MPs to “vote with their conscience”.

At least 50 out of the ANC’s 249 MPs would need to vote against the president in order for the no-confidence motion to pass.

“Today our choice is between right and wrong; between good and evil,” the Democratic Alliance’s Mmusi Maimane said, while Andries Tlouamma, deputy president of the Agang party, warned if Mr Zuma survived then South Africa was “on a highway to hell”.

Meanwhile, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, of the opposition Inkatha Freedom Party, said President Jacob Zuma has “trampled on the constitution” and has “sold the country to the highest bidder”.

But Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told the gathered MPs the vote was “akin to a coup”.

“My conscience tells me we all need to respect the voters who brought us here,” she said, urging MPs to wait until the 2019 election, when the people would make their voices heard.

Mr Zuma will not be standing in 2019.

How does the vote work?

Following a 90-minute debate, the House will adjourn to prepare for the vote.

A bell will then be rung and MPs called in alphabetical order to collect their ballot papers. There are three options on the ballot paper: Yes, No or Abstain.

After each MP has voted, the ballot boxes will be sealed.

A representative from each party will be called to witness the count. The counting room will be guarded by the Sergeant-in-Arms, under the supervision of the party representatives and Speaker.

Finally, the bell will be rung again and the speaker will announce the results.

Criticism of Mr Zuma has increased this year, after he fired his widely-respected finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, in March.

This came amid accusations that the president had become too close to the wealthy Gupta family, who are accused of trying to influence politician decisions – including the sacking of Mr Gordhan.

Mr Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing.

Johannesburg police are on high alert ahead of the vote, the city’s Councillor for Public Safety, Michael Sun, said in a statement.

Although allegations of corruption have dogged Mr Zuma for years now, a growing number from within his party have publicly called on him to step down, the BBC’s Milton Nkosi in Cape Town says.

Some, like ANC MP Makhosi Khoza, have even received death threats for speaking out against the president.

She said that a vote for the motion will not be a vote against the ANC, but a vote against corruption.

But our correspondent says that Mr Zuma still enjoys a considerable amount of support from his party – the question now is how many of his MPs are prepared to take a stand against him.

Mr Zuma is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, ahead of the 2019 general election.

He has endorsed his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as his successor.

Also vying for the leadership is Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist and one of South Africa’s wealthiest politicians.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Baleka Mbete, announces that a vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be held by secret ballot. The vote, to be held on 8 August 2017, will be the eighth vote of no confidence against the president and the first by secret ballot.