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South Africa’s Zuma survives no-confidence vote

South African President Jacob Zuma arrives to deliver the speech for 2017's State Of the Nation Address(SONA), on February 9, 2017, at the Parliament in Cape Town. (Photo by AFP)

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma survived a no-confidence motion against him in parliament on Tuesday by garnering 198 votes to the opposition's 177 votes as African National Congress lawmakers rallied to his support.

There were nine abstentions in the secret ballot.

Zuma, 75, who has held power since 2009 but whose time in office has been dogged by allegations of corruption, has now survived nine no-confidence votes thanks to loyal voting by ANC lawmakers.

The rand fell by 1 percent after the announcement of the vote outcome.

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.

Several opposition parties led thousands of anti-Zuma protesters to the national assembly in Cape Town ahead of the parliamentary session due to begin at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT).

A general view of South African Parliament

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.

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.

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 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 favoring his ex-wife, former African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to succeed him ahead of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

(Source: Agencies)


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