South African parliament debate on motion to impeach Zuma delayed

South Africa's President and ANC president Jacob Zuma attends the party's three-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Pretoria, in this March 18, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A debate over a motion to impeach South African President Jacob Zuma was delayed on Tuesday after opposition lawmakers demanded that the Speaker of parliament recuse herself from presiding over the proceedings. Opposition lawmakers said Speaker Baleka Mbete was also a respondent in a case in which the constitutional court ruled last week that Zuma breached the law by ignoring an order to repay some of the $16 million in state funds spent on renovating his private home. Mbete said the constitution did not require her to recuse herself from presiding over the debate, and suspended proceedings to consult with parliamentary officials. (Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa)