Nathi Mthethwa and Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to defend Zuma

Cape Town - African National Congress deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa and ANC MP Pule Mabe will defend President Jacob Zuma against the onslaught of the opposition during Tuesday afternoon's debate on the motion of no confidence against him.

The debate, scheduled to start at 14:00, will be opened by DA leader Mmusi Maimane, who brought the motion. He will also have the last word, before there will be a break for the National Assembly chamber to be readied for the voting.

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Defending Zuma will be nothing new for Dlakude, who served on the ad hoc committees on Nkandla that exonerated Zuma from any wrongdoing.

Mabe has also defended Zuma vociferously in the past. Mthethwa will be the ANC's last speaker, called a sweeper in Parliamentary jargon.

Some of Zuma's staunched defenders, like Nomvula Mokonyane and Lindiwe Zulu, did not make the speakers list.

The opposition brought out the heavyweights, with the party leaders on the list.

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema will follow Dlakude as the third speaker, thereafter party leaders like the Inkatha Freedom Party's Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the United Democratic Movement's Bantu Holomisa, Cope's Mosiuoa Lekota, the African Christian Democratic Party's Kenneth Meshoe, the Freedom Front Plus's Pieter Groenewald and the African Peoples' Convention's Themba Godi will also speak.

The other DA speakers will be national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme, who has livened up debates in the past.

Approximately an hour and a half is set aside for the debate.