Date: 18/03/2010
Source: Freedom Front Plus
Title: FFPlus: Mulder: Speech by the Chief Whip, in the debate on the vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma, Parliament

It is always better in politics to play the ball and not the man. That is not what we have seen today. The Hon President is a very loyal party man. All decisions are taken jointly, be that by the NEC or the NWC or the top six. However it was Mr. Zuma who was elected by this House to become President. He is the President of the Republic and nobody else and that places on him a number of responsibilities

Section 83(b) of the Constitution instructs the President to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution. The President must do so and not the NEC or the top six in the ANC. This dictates that the President, regardless of party loyalties, should defend the nation and Constitution. He should set the example and should be the first to reprimand Malema in public for incitement of violence, and the advocacy of hatred. But he remained silent. The FF Plus will support this motion of no confidence.

However, the important thing of today's debate is not the fact that this motion will be defeated by the majority, but the fact that it was brought by COPE and not the DA. That is the real importance of today. Because, if a motion like this is ever to succeed in future, it will be brought by a COPE-like party and not the DA.