S. Africa's president to face fresh impeachment debate

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

South Africa’s National Assembly will debate a motion to impeach under-pressure president, Jacob Zuma, on Tuesday.

Parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete confirmed the motion in a media briefing in Cape Town on Sunday.

The Constitutional Court ruled last Thursday that Zuma had violated the constitution by refusing to comply with an anti-corruption watchdog’s order to repay back millions of public monies used to upgrade his personal home.

The opposition has used the court ruling as a basis upon which to table their motion to impeach Zuma.

In a 2014 report, the watchdog, also known as the Public Protector, accused Zuma of misusing public money to upgrade his country home in Nkandla Village KwaZulu Natal province.

Security upgrades on Zuma’s home were supposed to have cost the state $2.5 million but other additions such as a cattle enclosure, swimming pool, amphitheater and chicken run saw the cost skyrocket to $23 million.

The watchdog ordered Zuma to repay some of the money but he was adamant he had done nothing wrong.

The National Assembly and Police Minister then instituted parallel investigations and absolved Zuma of any wrongdoing.

South Africa's Constitutional Court found the National Assembly had erred in absolving the president, saying it was only a court of law that could set aside the anti-corruption watchdog’s recommendations.

Since the historic ruling, the opposition and a few veterans of Zuma’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) have called for his resignation and that of the parliamentary speaker.

“I am not considering resigning,” National Assembly speaker Mbete told reporters on Sunday.

Zuma made a television apology to the nation on Friday saying he would abide by the court’s ruling and repay back some of the money.

“The matter has caused a lot of frustration and confusion, for which I apologize on my behalf and on behalf of government,” he said in a televised address.

But the opposition says an apology is not enough.

Zuma, whose ruling ANC has a majority in parliament, has survived many previous votes of no confidence.