South Africa’s President Zuma faces impeachment move in parliament

The motion to be discussed Tuesday is unlikely to pass because it requires a two-thirds majority for approval.

South Africa’s parliament is expected to debate an opposition motion to remove President Jacob Zuma from office after the country’s highest court said he violated the constitution.

File photo of South African President Jacob Zuma. (Reuters)

The motion to be discussed Tuesday is unlikely to pass because it requires a two-thirds majority for approval. The ruling African National Congress party, which has supported Zuma, has a comfortable majority and earlier this year defeated a no-confidence motion against him.

The Constitutional Court said Zuma failed to uphold the constitution in a scandal over millions of dollars in state spending on his private home. The court said Zuma should have abided by a state watchdog agency’s recommendations that he pay back some of the money.

Zuma has since pledged to pay back an amount to be determined by the national treasury.