South African President Jacob Zuma faces a parliamentary vote of no-confidence Tuesday in a secret ballot that will test the loyalty of members of his party, the African National Congress (ANC).
Parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete decided to make the vote private after an opposition party took the case to the Constitutional Court to enable more ANC members of parliament to break party ranks.
In Cape Town, thousands of protesters from the various opposition parties amassed near parliament where large television screens have been erected for them to watch the parliamentary debate that will precede the vote.
CNN reports that Zuma’s supporters are also planning to march and there is a heavy police presence with some in riot gear and equipped with razor wire in case of violence.
As head of the party that led South Africa out of apartheid, Zuma won the presidential election in 2009 and 2014, but has faced a number of no confidence votes in the past and has been dogged by criminal investigations and corruption allegations.
More than 50 of the ANC's 249 MPs would need to vote against the president in order for the no confidence motion to pass. The vote will be preceded by a parliamentary debate.
According to the South African constitution, if he loses, President Zuma and his entire cabinet would have to step down and the speaker of Parliament would take up the presidency for 30 days.
President Zuma's term is currently due to run until 2019.
A former trade union leader and prominent Zuma critic Zwelinzima Vavi said the vote provided a chance to revitalize the ANC ahead of 2019 elections. "It is an opportunity for us as a country to put pressure on the ANC leadership and this time around to impeach, to prioritize our country above the narrow interests of Zuma and his family and his cronies that are pillaging the country. At the same time to also secure the future of the ANC because if the ANC takes a wrong step today it will be severely punished in 2019."
Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, said the secret ballot should encourage lawmakers to "vote truthfully, and without fear that maybe the party, in this case, the ANC, might punish them if they vote in support of the motion of no confidence."
"What all of us hope is that they will vote honestly, because you know the opinion in the country about what's been happening and the politics of South Africa. I think those MPs must recall that they are the representatives of the people, and must therefore represent the people in terms of what they do this afternoon."
Last year, the Constitutional Court ordered Zuma to repay millions of dollars in public funds spent on refurbishing his private homestead. The polygamist and father of more than 20 children also face more than 783 allegations of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal.
Zuma, 75, denies the corruption allegations against him. And despite street protests, opposition maneuvering, and defections from his own party, he refuses to step down. More protests against him are expected in South Africa in the hours running up to the vote Tuesday.
Supporters are also expected to take Cape Town streets.
Lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) will lead the no confidence motion against him.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane says the time has come to challenge the President: "I think there is a collection of South Africans from all walks that are now standing together when you start to get rid of Zuma."
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu warned last week that voting in favour of the motion would be like "throwing a nuclear bomb at the country."
