South African President Jacob Zuma today survived an impeachment motion in Parliament over a court ruling that he had violated the country's post-apartheid constitution following million-dollar renovations at his private residence.
The opposition had introduced the motion in the wake of last week's findings by the country's highest judicial institution, the Constitutional Court, that Zuma had failed to act in terms of the Constitution in a matter where he was found to have flouted the Constitution.
The court said Zuma had not acted on findings by the Public Protector that he had benefited unfairly in million- dollar renovations at his Nkandla home.
Although the opposition DA was backed by almost all other parties in the house, the ruling ANC majority saw the votes going 143 in favour and 233 against, leading to a mass walkout except for ANC members, who continued with the agenda into the evening as though nothing else had happened earlier.
Deputy Finance Justice John Jeffery attempted earlier to justify the unanimous ANC vote by telling the Members of Parliament that the Constitutional Court had not found Zuma guilty of a gross violation of the Constitution and that the president had "never acted with mala fides", something Zuma has been repeating in public appearances since the court ruling last week.
Zuma also apologised to the South African people on national TV on Friday as his spin doctors attempted to pass the blame onto other departments that had been involved in the Nkandla project.
