Hon Deputy Speaker, when I rose to address this House on the Presidency Budget Vote at this time last year, neither South Africa nor I could have imagined how much further the decline in our country's leadership would be under the hon President Jacob Zuma. [Interjections.]
We have the tragedy at Marikana; two successive credit downgrades; the scandal surrounding the upgrade of the President's private home at Nkandla; and the disastrous military intervention in the Central African Republic. All of these and many others took place in the 12 months since we last debated the budget of this Presidency.
When I moved the motion of no confidence in the hon President in November 2012, with a mandate from nine opposition parties, it was because we could see the writing on the wall. We knew that South Africa could not afford one more day of failed leadership, but the ANC blocked the motion and the decline in leadership has continued.
Today, our wonderful country is in a worse position than it was this time last year. The ANC has sunk to unimaginable levels to defend this failed presidency. The DA will continue to fight for Parliament to fulfil its mandate and hold the President accountable for his record in government. Today, we will not support the Presidency Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]