Making headlines: Mbete waiting to hear from parties on secret ballot; Mugabe says it’s not his duty to name his successor; And, ANC women’s league defends decision to have 6 men in policy conference delegation

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Mbete waiting to hear from parties on secret ballot

Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete says she is waiting to hear from all political parties in Parliament before making a decision on whether or not to allow voting via a secret ballot in a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

In June, the Constitutional Court ruled that Mbete had the discretion to determine whether or not a motion of no confidence in Zuma could be done through a secret ballot. The application was brought before the highest court by the UDM after she said she did not believe she had the powers to make such a decision.

The motion has been scheduled for August 8, after an initial announcement that it would take place on August 3.

Parliament announced yesterday, however, that the initial date clashed with a cabinet lekgotla which had already been scheduled for that date.

Mugabe says it’s not his duty to name his successor

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has reportedly engaged the Minister of War Veterans Tshinga Dube over the succession issue, telling him that he had not named his successor "as that was the prerogative of the Congress".

Dube recently urged Mugabe to name or groom his successor to put a stop to the continued factional fights in his ruling Zanu-PF party.

Two distinct camps have emerged in Zimbabwe’s revolutionary party in recent years, as factions seek to outwit each other in the race to succeed the 93-year-old leader.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is allegedly leading a faction that is angling to succeed Mugabe calling itself "Team Lacoste", while another grouping made up of young Turks, commonly known as Generation 40 and backing First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her ageing husband, wants to torpedo Mnangagwa’s presidential ambitions.

And, ANC women’s league defends decision to have 6 men in policy conference delegation

The ANC Women's League has defended its decision to have six men in its delegation at the party's policy conference.

The Sunday Times reported that ANC Women's League president Bathabile Dlamini justified the inclusion of men in its delegation. She reportedly said that women were too emotional.

ANC Women's League Secretary General Meokgo Matuba said the league was not surprised nor shocked by the Sunday Times report.

She called the report politically motivated, saying it was driven by the mouthpiece of the neo-liberals.

She said that the ANC Women's League had staff and partners across all genders who were gender activists in their own right.

Also making headlines:
Mbalula proposes overhaul of ANC Constitution
And, DA to lay criminal charges against Guptas over wedding bill

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today