Staff Reporter

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has formally submitted a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, who is currently considering the request.

The MKP is also pushing for a secret ballot vote, citing the need to protect Members of Parliament (MPs) from potential intimidation.

This move marks the latest in a series of attempts by various political parties to unseat President Ramaphosa since 2019.

Previous calls for his resignation have stemmed from issues such as the Phala Phala saga and the country’s ongoing struggle with load shedding.

MKP Chief Whip Colleen Makhubele articulated the party’s reasons for the motion, stating that it is based on issues that the President has been facing from the beginning of the sixth term right through to the seventh term.

Makhubele highlighted allegations of interference, failure of accountability including the Phala Phala incident, new corruption allegations linked to the President, and the administration’s perceived failure to deliver basic services to citizens.

“The citizens have lost confidence in our President and so have we,” Makhubele asserted.

Similar motions of no confidence were brought by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) in 2020 and 2022.

However, these motions ultimately lapsed after then-National Assembly Speakers Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Thandi Modise declined requests for a secret ballot, following extensive court and parliamentary proceedings.

In a key development, the MKP has formally requested a secret ballot, arguing it would safeguard MPs against intimidation and allow them to vote according to their conscience.