Malema reveals more than 60 ANC MP's will back president Zuma's no-confidence vote

South African politician Julius Malema says that more than 60 African National Congress members of parliament (MP’s) will back a no-confidence vote against president Jacob Zuma.

The firebrand politician and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party said this on Friday during an interview with Reuters.

“I’m not talking to opposition MP’s, I am talking to ANC MP’s. I have spoken to more than 60 of them. They’ve committed, they’ve asked that this thing (motion of no confidence vote) must be secret, they will deliver it. They are not happy themselves, they are not happy themselves, so don’t undermine the secret ballot.”

Malema a former ANC youth league leader added that he had received personal commitments that ANC MP’s would dump the president.

Scandal-plagued President Zuma will face a no-confidence motion on August 8, the ninth time that the opposition will have tried to unseat him.

According to a poll conducted by a section of South African media, 98 percent of respondents asked MP’s to support the no-confidence vote against the president.

Toppling Zuma requires 50 of the 249 African National Congress members of parliament to support the no-confidence motion.

Already some have said publicly they want him removed, including former finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

South Africa’s national assembly has 400 members.