Zuma seeks punishment for ANC rebel lawmakers

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South African President Jacob Zuma wants the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party to identify and punish party members that joined the opposition in voting against him in last week's no-confidence motion.

Some 30 ANC members supported the opposition’s motion in a secret ballot on August 8, though it failed to pass.

Addressing an ANC meeting late on Sunday, Zuma called the defectors “people who have double hearts, one for the ANC and one for other parties,” and said they “must be taken to the (ANC) disciplinary committee,” South African media reported.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma looks on as he officially opens the African National Congress 5th National Policy Conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto, South Africa, June 30, 2017. /Reuters Photo‍

“What our enemies (opposition members of parliament) were doing was to say: ‘How can we destroy the ANC and weaken it, so that we can take control of the country?’ … We should never do it again,” Zuma was quoted as saying.

It is still unclear how the party would be able to identify those members that voted against Zuma, or what kind of punishment they would get.

The president said he would discuss the issue of dissenters at a meeting of the ANC on Monday.

The opposition sought to oust Zuma after he removed finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March, a move that hit the financial markets and prompted two credit ratings agencies to downgrade South Africa’s debt rating to junk status.