Former president Thabo Mbeki has urged MPs to put the country first when they vote on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma‚ The Star newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Parliament is due to debate the motion on April 18 after calls from opposition parties for Zuma to step down.
Mbeki said the Constitutional Court had outlined the role of MPs in its Nkandla judgment‚ which criticised Parliament for not holding Zuma to account by failing to implement the findings of the public protector.
"In this context‚ consistent with its Constitutional mandate‚ among others‚ the Constitutional Court explained the place‚ role and tasks of our MPs‚ and therefore the national legislature‚ strictly as defined by our constitution‚" Mbeki said in an online version of The Star article.
Mbeki said MPs must act as the voice of the people‚ "not the voice of the political parties to which they belong"‚ the article said.
"It may be that the current controversy has‚ at last‚ imposed on our country the opportunity and obligation to better to define the constitutional and moral relationship between the people and their elected representatives."
TMG Digital
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