ANC backs Zuma after ’frivolous’ motion
By Wendell Roelf
President Jacob Zuma escaped a vote of no-confidence the opposition tried to bring on Thursday because they said his sexual behaviour and lack of accountability showed "dangerously flawed judgment".
Had it gone ahead, it would have been the first such vote against a ruling South African head of state since apartheid ended in 1994, showing growing opposition impatience with Zuma.
In the end, his party, the African National Congress, which holds a huge majority in the assembly, amended the motion so it became a vote of confidence.
A shrewd political survivor, the 68-year-old Zuma is battling fires on various fronts since becoming president in May 2009, including a furore about fathering a child out of wedlock with a friend's daughter.
Union and communist allies, who aided Zuma's rise to power, are testing his political resolve by agitating for economic policy change, while violent protests by communities fed up with their living conditions are another concern as South Africa prepares to host the 2010 World Cup from June.
The ANC branded the no-confidence motion "frivolous" and publicity-seeking.
It was initiated by the Congress of the People (Cope), the second biggest opposition party formed when some members broke away from ruling African National Congress (ANC). However, not all opposition parties supported them.
