South Africa's Zuma stays in power

PRETORIA, South Africa, March 18 (UPI) -- South African President Jacob Zuma, dogged by the revelation he had a child out of wedlock, withstood a parliamentary vote of no confidence Thursday.

The motion, submitted by the opposition party Congress of the People with support from the Democratic Alliance, failed 241-84 with eight abstentions, the BBC reported. It was the first no confidence attempt since the African National Congress rose to power 16 years ago.

The vote came while Zuma, who has three wives, was in Zimbabwe trying to defuse political tensions there, the British broadcaster noted.

It became known this year Zuma had a child with the 39-year-old daughter of a local World Cup official.

"The president of our country has let us down. He has let Africa and the world down," Mvume Dandala, head of the Congress of the People, told the National Assembly. "It is common knowledge how the president has failed this nation by his repeated risky sexual behavior, thus weakening the crucial fight against HIV/AIDS and setting a poor example."

Defense Minister Lindiwe Sisulu called the attempt to upend Zuma "a frivolous waste of time."