Opposition join hands in ConCourt march for #SecretBallot

Julius Malema and Mmusi Maimane don't usually see eye-to-eye.

But on Monday morning‚ the two opposition party leaders stood arm-in-arm in solidarity on two issues at least: opposition to President Jacob Zuma and calling for a secret ballot in Parliament's upcoming vote of no-confidence for the embattled president.

The #ZumaMustFall and #SecretBallot march began slowly at Mary Fitzgerald Square on a brisk Monday morning before picking up steam as members of the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters gathered to march to the Constitutional Court ahead of its ruling on the secret ballot issue.

"Democracy means secret ballot‚" Malema said in his customary red garb as he rallied the crowd ahead of the march.

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has filed an application with the Constitutional Court to compel National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete to order a secret ballot in response to the motion of no confidence in Zuma.

The UDM says that ANC members of Parliament have been intimidated to force them to vote against the motion. The ruling party has said that its members should toe the party line and cannot support a motion brought by the opposition.

Maimane urged ANC MPs to join the opposition in voting against Zuma.

"Don't just stand on podiums and say‚ ‘We have had enough’‚ vote in Parliament. For it is Parliament that elects Zuma. It must be Parliament that removes Zuma‚" said Maimane

DA spokesperson Mabine Seabe said they expect thousands of people to show up.

"If we cannot fight today‚ we cannot fight for the future‚" he said.

"It is absolutely necessary for people to come out. The time is now. I joined the march because I want Zuma to go. That's the bottom line‚" said Madhan Ramkelawon‚ a member of the public.

In a statement read out by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa at a joint media briefing on Friday‚ he said that a secret ballot would provide "the safest" space for all MPs to be guided by their conscience and "not by dictates of political bosses who issue instructions to parliament from party quarters".

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The parties involved with the march are: the African Christian Democratic Party‚ the African Independent Congress‚ the African People’s Convention‚ the Congress of the People‚ Agang SA‚ the Democratic Alliance‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters‚ the Inkatha Freedom Party and the United Democratic Movement‚ together with the Freedom Movement and Save SA.

_TimesLive